Love is Worth a Gunshot
by Blue Kitsune
Summary: Tea has lost all her friends in death and decides to leave her home behind. Only she's sucked into another dimesion and finds herself in a deserted town and desert where she finds a blue-hair injured man. Will she be able to help him or will he help her
1. Depression Sucks Big Time

_**Love is Worth a Gunshot**_

* * *

**Blue Kitsune**: Ok so this is my second crossover with yugioh and something else. Well guess what it's with Trigun and even though I had promised to have Tea paired with Kakashi in 'Naruto', I decided to do this one. I think Legato is H-O-T!!!!!!!!!!

Summary: Tea feels depressed as all her friends are leaving her and her boyfriend just died (Sorry Seto- Téa fans I'm really really really Really sorry!!!!!!!) Tea thinking she can't handle anymore pain, runs away and then finds a dimension where she is dropped in a deserted town and walking through a desert and finding a wounded blue-hair man? Will she helped him or will it be the other way around? (Legato/Tea) Hope you guys might like it!

* * *

_Chapter One: Depression Sucks Big Time_

It was raining she remembered clearly as if it were yesterday on that day. The day that everything came shattering down and she in the next few hours would be making the biggest decision in her life.

A storm coming as the weather forecast and judging from the dark clouds that should have foretold something would change, whether she knew it or have any idea that it would have to revolve around her. But right now she was in this dark room, not turning on the lights but really didn't give a damn about it. Just sitting by the window and watching the rain pelt against the glass and run down like the tears on her cheeks, making her believe god was crying for this day as well.

If there's one thing she learned in her meaningless existence it was life was cruel. Life was not fair, no it sucks and had to sometimes be a big joke on other people's suffering for everyone to laugh about. Hers was a fucking sick twisted joke that she didn't find at all amusing for the account of how much misery was bought upon her! At least that's what she thought.

Téa Gardener Kaiba, the tragic heroine of her story, age nineteen, almost twenty, barely past her teens and yet her life was already going down the drain even before everything had gone to Hell, before all the people she had come to love were taking away from her in a flash.

Only one question kept constantly running through her mind and awake each minute.

_Why…?_

"Why, why did you have to go, to leave me like this? Will somebody tell me why this has to happen to me? At least answer me that dammit!" She asked but no one was there to hear her vain cry. No one but the rain that console her as she put her face in her hands and wept bitterly as the truth went in, echoing loud and clear around her.

Everyone was gone and she was the only one left to endure this sad miserable by herself. To recollect all the pain she felt growing with each day for the last three years.

Memories going in chronological order as one by one, hard and unforgiving as reality could be sunk in slowly like a knife inside her chest and instead of taking the blade out, it went deeper and kept going in, twisting its way, the steel cutting every muscle into her heart and leaving it raw and bleeding inside and felt the gapping wound until she thought she might die of that alone unlike the others who had pass on to the other realm.

Alone…she probably would because all of them were…her family and friends were…

Dead.

Mr. Moto, Yugi's kind grandpa passed away two year ago after they had graduated and Yugi decided to leave for Egypt with Yami and the Ishtar as they wanted to return to their beloved homeland and Yugi to console for the time being before they would probably return later and things could get back to normal before getting started on his career as a game owner-duelist.

Unfortunately, the plane had crash-landed and everyone was killed on the impact, no survivors, the gas burst and flames erupt, consuming all the passengers in there. It had been all over the news saying how Yugi Moto, youngest duelist and former king of games had died during the crash landing with all others and the world mourn for him, mostly his friends

Joey, Serenity, along with Mai and Tristan had decided on taking a road trip, to try and clear everyone's mind of the tragedy that struck and couldn't think of a better way than an escape reality for a short while going with some friends some place far from everything. Téa couldn't because she was sick, catching the flu at the worst time but send her love and hopes for the four to have fun and enjoy themselves in her absence.

That was to be the last she would ever see them, riding in Joey's beat up jeep, Serenity giving a sad smile as she was still thinking of Yugi, never telling him how she felt and Tristan and Mai being there for them as they drove away until the jeep was nothing but a speck in her vision.

Then as Tea was sitting in her living room, flipping through the channels before stopping to see the Nine O'clock News came on and told of an accident happening on the highway which had a major crash and the names of the victims who died on the side of the screen beside the newswoman's head. Tea thought her heart almost stopped dead as she saw her friends' names listed and thinking back when she saw them then breaking down in the room.

She mourned for all her friends and came to their funerals with their families and friends but sadly couldn't do the same for Yugi, Yami and the Ishtar as theirs were a fire pyre that had crisped them with no way to find their bodies and give a proper burial.

The few remaining friends she had that were left: Duke, Bakura, Ryou, Mokuba and Kaiba himself. Tea could see in their eyes the pain and sadness of losing them and thought that if they tried to stick together, then maybe nothing else could go wrong for them. But unfortunately, that bond had not been strong to stop what happened next.

Ryou had mixed himself a cup of tea with some toxic household poison and died the next few minutes in his sleep. Bakura who couldn't take the pain of living without having his half spirit by his side, joined him as he made his own concoction and lay in his half ling's arms, fading into nothingness as only a spirit could and join in the next world.

Duke committed suicide, cutting his wrists and doing it over and again each day never letting her know and always blamed herself that she should have instead of wallow in her own misery to not see what was happening until it was too late.

She had gone over to see Duke when he hadn't return her phone calls and worried for him, went to his apartment, checking all the rooms and found him in the bathtub with his whole body, mostly his wrists entirely cut up till she could see the very white of his bones, blood all over the ground and the water a pinkish tint and glassy green eyes staring at the ceiling, a crumpled note gripped tightly in his cold hands.

'I can't take this any longer, the world is far too cruel, it's so empty without the people in my life. I have to go, there's no room for me. Farewell and hope to see you in the next life…'

She remember the whole thing as it was the last memoir of Duke before the paramedics came and took his body away in a black body bag that seem to erase him from existence.

The only ones left now beside her were the Kaiba brothers and realized how alone they were with almost all their friend, the people in their lives disappearing before their very eyes.

Kaiba, seeing her like this, living with the kind of pain they had to deal in the past and understanding her feelings and realized that she was like them without anyone to love or care for in this lifetime.

He offer her a place to stay and she accepted because she saw that only they had to stick together, to stay longer, to keep living. But that had been a lie in the end.

Mokuba was next on death's list. He had gotten sick one day, and though they though it was the flu going around that time, it only got worse until Kaiba decided to take him taken to the hospital for an examination. The news was unpleasant and the worse of all things to have found out till now: leukemia. Mokuba had leukemia and there was no way to stop it.

At first the doctors thought there was nothing more they could do but Kaiba did everything in his power and money for them to find a cure or else there would be hell to pay. Never underestimate a Kaiba for the sake of his only brother.

Weeks had gone by, months then a year as Mokuba had been prescribed many medications and going for treatments to keep the disease at bay at least a few more months, a couple years not likely. Mokuba, the once happy cheerful go-lucky little boy who always gave Tea, his 'big sister' a smile, was pale and thin and weak as a lifeless being.

A ghost was now living inside a boy's shell.

Mokuba had asked Tea to come into his room one day while Seto, Tea too called him that after spending time with him and he didn't seem to mind, in fact he insisted after much pursuing from his brother, was away at work, giving them a moment of privacy together.

She came into his room and saw Mokuba, sitting up in bed, his eyelids heavy and drooping but yet trying to keep awake before saying what he had to say before the medication took over.

* * *

'_Tea, I'm glad to see you.' He started coughing and Tea went over to the stand and pour a glass of water and handed it to him. _

"_Mokuba you should be resting right now. You don't want to be too tired when—" But he interrupted her, "But I'm already tired. I'm tired enough as it is. I can't take anymore. It's too much for me and I don't want to fight it anymore…"_

"_Mokuba!" She was shocked at what she was hearing. She couldn't believe it. _

"_Mokuba don't you dare say such things like that. Seriously you're going to get better and Seto is doing all he can with getting the best meds in the world to help and—"_

"_But for how long? How long will I have to go through this! How much longer do I have to endure, to go through with this endless waiting of getting better? There's no way I will. I can tell you that it's going to be over soon anyways." Tears ran down his cheek as he started to cry. Tea went and wrapped her arms around him, smoothing back his very short hair that barely began to grow. _

"_It's ok Mokuba, it's ok…we're still here for you, we'll always will be." Soon after he finished she laid his head on the pillow and tuck the blanket around him and pecking him on the forehead, saying goodnight. "Wait!" _

_He reached out and gently squeezed Tea's hand to let her listen to what he had to say, "Tea promise you'll take care of my big brother. He cares for you, he really does…even when he doesn't admit it."_

"_I also care for him and you too…" She whispered, tears brimming from her eyes as she held onto his fragile little hand. "But he cares about you a whole lot." _

_Mokuba's grip on her hand became tight. "Promise me. Promise me you'll take care of him and be there for him always."_

_She stared into his gray emotional eyes and saw the first time spark of life deeply hidden and smiled a small smile. "All right I promise. Only if you promise you won't give up yet."_

_Mokuba smiled back wearily. "Thank you Tea. I know you'll keep your promise and I'll try to stay longer, just so that I can, see you and Seto together at least."_

"_You will." She said before leaving the room and turning the lights off to let him sleep and took one last glance to see him looking like an angel with his eyes close and radiant innocent. _

"_I'll keep my promise as long as you keep yours…"_

* * *

And he had come as promised before three months after their small conversation when in the end Mokuba Kaiba laid six feet under newly soil earth and she and Seto stood by the grave reading the date etch in the granite stone.

Mokuba had been barely fourteen, so young, she thought, grabbing Seto's hand and held it as he looked to the marker with nothing readable on his face yet his eyes spoke more in volume in words than any other emotion she ever seen of him. No tears were needed to be shed as they already have for everyone and Mokuba would not wanted him to cry on the funeral but the sadness and lost were glazed in his icy stare.

"It isn't fair…" He whispered almost forgetting Tea was there but she silently agreed with him as she stood there beside him before laying the flowers she brought and pulling herself away to give him a moment of privacy and console his brother in peace, walking down the grassy path in the cemetery to the limo that waited below.

She could feel the cold wind touch her almost like a empty caress, chilling her to the bone as she thought of all the people she had known and those around her, surrounding every inch of this place, family, friends even strangers now ghost inside this massive boneyard and in her mind.

Nothing to keep the dead from haunting as she only knew with how easily she had handle from previous experience in the past.

_Mokuba you kept your end of the bargain now it's my turn to keep mine._ After Seto came down and join her, they went home and felt the hollowness inside, everything seem so empty now as it only was the two left living here in one another's shadows.

Tea did her best with caring for the remaining Kaiba, knowing she would keep her promise to Mokuba to watch over his brother and stay with him. As hard as she try she could only see him falling inside himself even more, falling in his own sorrow and depression through his work and loneliness.

She would've done anything to help when he wasn't feeling too good or giving reassure like she once did with her friends even when they hadn't been close in the past but they knew and needed each other. She did everything in her power, caring for the one person she had left and finding something to live with someone who understood her pain.

As each day gone by, Kaiba had been nothing more than a hollow being whose only reaction was to go to work and work. Like some kind of drone or a robot incapable of anything else but following a strict program.

She almost given up hope until Kaiba had one day recently decided to do something she would never expect, he had come home early then usual and ask to take her out on a date. They did, going to a movie and dinner and each day, he came and they gone somewhere whether the park or some places they could be alone and enjoy the solitude in one another's company and soon went even further where in one night of heat passion and Tea didn't regret it as she laid in his arms and saw the first smile he had in almost a long time while he slept. It wasn't long before after six months of what they did and at dinner they were having together alone in the mansion he asked her to marry him.

Out of the blue and she had nearly choked on her chicken and looked across at him. Was he really serious, she hadn't really thought he would go that far but she saw in his eyes that he wasn't kidding and the warm passion and love she had seen before when they had spend that night together was there to see the truth.

He loved her and she had grown to love him as they bonded and now it was maybe possible that they could finally break the gravely curse that was haunting the both of them and start a new beginning, a new chapter in their lives together.

She said yes and saw the faint smile touch his lips and had to smile back before going over to embrace and kiss him.

_Maybe there was a way to break it._ She thought happily, tear falling down her cheeks while he put the ring on her finger but somehow she was wrong. They were married within less than a year and in that end she lost him from the car accident that took his life.

_That time I felt certain we had won, that we had broken death's list, but I had been wrong..._

Tea had been preparing a well-cooked meal for her husband, thinking of what her husband would say when she would tell him some interesting news.

Any minute, Seto was going to be coming home and she would have the dinner out along with having a special surprise in store for him. Everything was going perfect for them.

She felt that the endless chain was now being broken and things could be start fresh, with a new life and maybe a family to think about.

_I'm certain Seto will be more than happy when I tell him the good news…_ she thought patting her slim stomach and putting the chicken in the stove for half an hourSeto will most definitely enjoy what she would tell him when he got home.

The phone ranged and Tea was broken from her chain of happy thoughts as she went over to the counter and about to pick it up. Strangely she had been having this weird feeling for some weeks, like something bad was about to come to either her or Seto. The constant ringing seem endless and a bad omen spoke from it before it was said through the line.

_Don't pick it up! Don't! Just pretend you're not home and let it ring. Whatever you do don't pick it—_

But she did and on the other line was indeed the bad news that had calling. "Is this Mrs. Kaiba?" She nodded but the other person didn't know and answered in an almost shaky voice, "Y-yes this is she?"

"This is Domino hospital, I'm afraid I have bad news…" And she listen to what was said before she dropped the phone and fell on her knees and cried. Cried because she had lost her only love.

* * *

Now here she was as she saw this was a year that she had lost another and she was the only one left in this cold and miserable world.

The only person left stranded in this empty existence in which to call her life.

Her childhood had been a hell and with her friends all gone and her husband along, taken whatever she had left to hold on.

Tea had barely managed to sleep this year as the nightmare of her dead friends came and haunted her, blaming her for their death just like everything else. She saw there was no more to do, there was nothing left. But…

Still felt that she needed to live somehow even though all she had living was gone. But what's there for me when everything around me, remains me of all who were once here.

She stared through the window and out beyond the street to whatever else lies beyond that.

Somewhere, there was some place she could go, find someone maybe…

No that was wrong, she couldn't, not after her friends, her family, her love and… She closed her eyes and clenched her fist. What she was thinking was highly impossible and not very smart as she was thinking like a little kid instead of the grown adult she was.

She needed to get away from this. Away from this place and try to find a new start for herself probably, to hope for a better beginning.

New York? Her old dream of going to America, to Julliard and becoming a dancer had faded but could go anywhere she wants as she had tons of cash and didn't need to worry about finding a job or anything. But money wasn't her big problem, it was her fear of letting go and moving on.

She grabbed the chain around her neck, holding her engagement and wedding ring and fiddle with the two. They each were circled with diamond and around her engagement ring was a sapphire, the color of Seto's eyes.

_Seto, I wish you were here with me, I wish there was another way to go but I needed to clear these thoughts and find some inner peace and get away before it consumes me, you'd understand wouldn't you? _

She rose from her seat, making up her mind and went to the closet and pulled down a suitcase and a small backpack and started packing. Packing all the clothes she could take along with checks, credit cards and other accessories she wanted to take but could always buy other things later. Carrying her things down her room and setting the alarm and security system and locking the place, not knowing how long she would be gone as she would call the staff to inform her recent decision for a 'vacation' and not sure how long she would be gone and made her way out to the garage to her black Mercedes and drove out, not caring where she was going.

* * *

The rain was turning to hail as she drove through the icy droplets, letting it pound against the windshield as she zoomed down the road. No sign of any other cars in sight, the Mercedes went at fast speed and she didn't know where she was exactly going.

_Wherever is fine__as long as I am nowhere here in Domino_.

All through the night her thoughts remained unclear of her intention, whether to head to Domino airport and take a flight anywhere or hit the road all the way, the windshield becoming blurry and hard to see through the haze and the drizzling downpour. Lack of sleep was finally catching up to her, but she needed to stay awake and focus on the road. Last thing would be to drive off the road and revved into a ditch or off a cliff.

She couldn't fall asleep behind the wheel. Maybe when she reach some motel the outside limit of the city or otherwise could she rest up and start over. If she was able to find one in all this rain…

As she was going beyond 40 mph, she could have swore something seemed off, something that was shouting inside her head, a warning bell ringing loudly in her ear that something wasn't right.

But what wasn't, it all looked the same to her, she thought. Just as she continued driving she then saw something coming. Coming really fast up the curb.

Another car? _Well it was a empty tonight and she was on her side so he would probably bypass her and…_

But the other car didn't seem to be on its side at all or to be slowing down at all. It looked like it was coming straight at her, the engine revering loudly to hear the sound roar with increasing speed.

_What the Hell? Maybe the guy's drunk or forgot to turn his lights on or something._

She thought to steer clear but when she tried to head for the other side she saw a white light shining directly through the rearview mirror, from that car, or it wasn't any car there at all. She could barely make out anything as the light shine into her eyes making her blind and unable to see the road ahead and couldn't see anything else.

_What's happening? Oh my god!!!! I can't see anything!! I'm going to crash!!_ Her mind was screaming as the light seem to have trapped her, causing her body to remain still and driving ahead and all she could hear was that roaring engine coming closer and couldn't get away as it got closer.

_Oh god this is it!_ And Tea thought no more, accepting this would be her final moment as the light dragged her in and took her to wherever it plan to take her.


	2. Lost in a Desert Isn’t Easy and neither

_Chapter Two: Lost in a Desert Isn't Easy and neither is Finding Unexpected Surprises_

Tea was unable to do anything in the dark abyss that seem to hold her against her will and for what was an eternity in this endless existence to figure how much time has passed.

It almost seem like forever and felt like she was falling, down whatever it was pulling her through.

Confused and uncertain whether she was alive or not it didn't really matter, what was going on and hopefully wouldn't have to endure any more pain when it was over?

She knew it was bound to happen sooner or later and she was only following the course of what would be done. No more tears to shed, no more emptiness, she could at last have it over…

_Just let it go, let yourself go and let it take you…_that what she thought that bright tunnel was doing, calling to her, taking her away from her misery and suffering and letting her be free.

Freed. Freed from this world and be with everyone else that she long to see once again.

_Wherever I wake, I hope it's better than this world I was in. I wish to be in a better place…just take me away…_

She closed her eyes as she was being pulled in then the darkness came and fell into a peaceful slumber, feeling at ease as she felt her spirit lifted from that world only to find herself that that was the least of her problems as new ones would come when she woke up.

* * *

She lay there for what seemed ages on top of a soft grainy surface, underneath the bright light, so bright it seem to scorch her very skin. But not as bright as before when it took her.

Strange, was she in Heaven or was it Limbo, awaiting judgment? Still having the ability to think, she couldn't feel anything at all with the exception of this heat pouring over her and making her perspire and her clothes sticking to her.

She groaned as her skin felt like she was on fire, god, she was sweating bullets. _Wow is it's so hot here, it's never this hot if I dead and unless I'm in...oh Shit!!! _

Her eyes open, blinking several times to get sleep out of them and trying not to be blinded when the first thing she saw was the sun or were there two suns above her and closed them again and lifting one hand over them to stare.

_Damn! That's bright! _She turned her head around when she felt that now she could move but not to be doing anything at the moment beside lie on her back with her face towards the sky.

_At least I know that I'm not in Hell. _She didn't know which she should be most thankful for, not being dead or that she was still alive for now at least?

But the heat from the burning sun stopped her from thinking further as she realized that she was out here for who knew how long, being overly cooked and her skin probably red as a lobster from it.

_I got to move away, got to find a way from here, before I end up being burnt to a crisp!_

Tea was going to turn her body over so that she would try and push herself up from the ground with her arms and knees and lift up.

Okay here goes, on three, one…two…three!

_She rolled, her back to the sun and what she had least expect was getting a mouthful of sand when she pressed down on the ground._

"Phat!" She yelled, standing up abruptly and spitting the grainy substance that touched her tongue, spat saliva and sand on the ground and wiping with the back of her hand.

"Yeck! Sand, of all things to taste it had to be sand, what in Hell's name would—wait a minute?"

_Sand, why would there be sand…last time I checked there weren't any beaches near the highway and the beaches are south from where I was going._

She turned around to look behind her and saw an endless valley of sand in all directions, surrounding her all the same and leading to the conclusion she was in a desert.

An enormous desert with no how she got here in the first place. _What the?! A desert in Domino? No way! This has got to be a dream or I'm going paranoid for no reason other than I'm losing my mind._

She stood there unable to do anything, her legs wobbly and her knees giving in and falling back to the ground, unable to stop the spinning sensation she was feeling staring at the endless valley of sand.

She felt nausea and dizzy all as if she had gone on the fastest roller coaster ride, going through many loops and turns and her stomach becoming a pretzel as the whole place started to spin around but stayed the same in her line of vision. Inside she was starting to panic.

_Oh man, I'm in a desert, a freaking desert for crying out loud!_ Tea looked to see if there was any signs or direction of which could be pointed out to the nearest town but there was nothing else she saw than what was before her.

Nothing but sand and cliffs, an endless vast of desert itself for miles and miles away.

_Okay…I may not want to say this but I think I'm not in Domino anymore. _

She wanting to scream and tear her hair out to relent her frustrate over and trying to piece together the missing bits that had her end up here leading to this place.

She groaned, putting her fists to her face and looking through the cracks between her fingers, wishing to see like some sign saying how far the next town or whatever in this world had that would be most helpful.

The simplest thing she could do was start walking and find some town or whatever out here for help or clues to where she was, get some answers and maybe a way home.

But there still lied one question. Which direction to take, the one on her left or on her right?

_Well if I head either way, I could possible find a town with information to where I am or end up as vulture food._ She didn't like the latter and knew a similar to a story she once read in her literature class.

'_The lady or the tiger'_, one would lead to salvation, the other to certain death, oh the choices to choose from. What had she got to lose?

_Better get a move on then unless I plan to fry out here any longer_, she thought and as she was heading into the way she picked would seem most optional to go straight and noticed lying beside her feet, her former bags and backpack missing and in their place a tan deerskin knapsack and sack.

_Huh?_ She picked them up and looked inside and founded that all her clothes were in it along with her other things.

_Ok I don't know which is even stranger, me ending up in a desert or my stuff pack inside these sacks. What's next?_

She sighed as she toss the knapsack over one shoulder and carrying the other in her hand and began her long stride, knowing not where she was going but hopefully finding a place to be.

_Anywhere is fine as long as I get some answers…maybe. _

* * *

_Stupid desert, stupid godforsaken wasteland!_ This was all she could think about as she had walked for half an hour, feeling her body sweating under the terrible heat and hoping not to get heatstroke soon and keel over here and wait for the buzzers to pick at her bones.

_God it's so hot out and windy, can imagine what those people in the movies had to be doing when going through this kind of weather_, she thought as the wind pick up and blew another mount of sand in her face and play with strands of her hair, pulling it back behind her ear to keep from getting in her way.

Lucky for her, she decided to don on one of the old scarves that she had and her sunglasses and used them to shield her mouth and eyes from being blind and inhaling sand.

_Last thing I need is another taste of that again._ _ Belch! _Her mouth now felt like it was the desert itself.

_God I could really go for some water right now! A nice icy cold tall glass of water with lots and lots of ice…_ She cursed herself for not having any with her and hoping that if she did reach a town, she go to the nearest bar and order the largest, coldest, water on the rocks. Hell, she'd probably drink from a trough if she wanted to for all she cared.

"Whatever just don't think about it, you gotta keep walking. You'll eventually cause yourself to go to even more thirsty and start hallucinating if you're not careful." She said, trying to keep the thought at bay when the least she need was to be imagining and do crazy thing like those people that see a mirage they think is real but is nothing but an illusion.

Like seeing things that aren't there, like an oasis with the gang sitting there like at the beach or seeing ice glaciers instead of cliffs, or that town right there I'm about to pass is just a town and—

She stopped when the last part registered inside her head, she stood and turned to look to what she was seeing but couldn't believe, even while pinching her sunburned arm to make sure she wasn't dreaming and rubbing her eye furiously if there had been sand caught behind her glasses.

Just a couple paces from where she was standing was a town. A town.

A town! She smiled widely for the first time then jumped in the air with her pack clinging to her and shouted for joy for finally finding salvation at last.

"Yatta!!! A town, yes a town! A town with people."

_A town with Water!!!! All right finally, I thought I never find one out here!_

With renew energy surging through her body, Tea ran as fast as her legs could, her heart racing with inspired speed determine to make it to the town before she gave in.

She could see the coming closer and closer into her view as she ran the last few towards it.

_I'm going to make it! I'm going to make it._ She felt like she was running in a marathon as she headed through and slowing to a jog as she reached the center, she saw a fountain, a fountain filled with water.

Dropping her things to the ground she headed towards the fountain.

Tea walked over towards it and dropping to her knees, she bend over and dipped her hands into the water, cupping the cool liquid and taking long sips, savoring it as it went down her throat.

Delicious…she thought and then dipped her hands in and splashing in her face, feeling the coolness drench her pore and leaving her refresh and vigor.

_Well now that I had that fill, I might as well dive in!_ Taking off her shoes and jumping in, she enjoyed feeling the cool water that soaked her entire body, her clothes, her sore feet, lying in it, leaving herself soaked to the bone.

_Oh thank you lord, I'm save, I'm in a town. I'm—_

Something wasn't right. She senses that moment when she was in the fountain. Everything seem to have been fine when she got here yet something seems way off but what? Then it hit her hard as realization sunk in.

People, there weren't any people around…

_Wait a minute, where are they?! People are suppose to be in towns like this, where are they?_

She thought how strange it was that there had been no one out, no one heading to their jobs or walking around. No one in this place, almost as if it had been abandoned…. deserted.

Tea stood up, her ankles set in the water, soaking wet and cooled down. She grabbed her shoes, left her bags on a bench and went to look around, seeing to find some clue on the whereabouts or what happened to everybody.

She searched the entire area, checking in all the stores, the houses and every place that she could see from hereon end and found no sign of anyone.

_Yep just as I suspect, there's nobody here. Like the whole place just got left behind or the people plainly disappeared._

Maybe a ghost town like the ones in the western regions that struck gold then left when the gold was all dried up and left for another? But something didn't add up, she was sure some pieces were missing but had no idea what the final clue could be.

This place was giving off a bad vibe she didn't find good and left her more chilled than anything else did in her entire life. Walking in the deserted town was enough to give Tea the hint to get the Hell out.

_Okay…I think I better get going then._

Unfortunately she just got her and she was feeling a bit hungry. Her stomach growled and she grabbed it to quiet the sudden rumbling it made.

When was the last time she ate? She barely recall as she forget sometimes and didn't want to go out there starving. She'll just grab some food, AND water, some supplies because she don't know how far is it to the next town or what not and see if there was anything to need beside what she have is not actually survival kit for when in a desert.

Tea pushed her wet hair out of her face and carrying both bags with her, she made her way to one of the bars and finding whatever food she could scrap up and changed. She hoped she would have better luck in the next town then here.

* * *

When Tea finish eating and changed into some dry and more comfortable clothing and packed all the essentials she needed for her journey was now rearing to go.

Wearing a pair of khaki shorts with a light blue sleeveless shirt with a small cropped undershirt and navy trench coat that reach to her knees for the accommodation to keep the heat from getting to her.

Luckily her coat had a hood to keep her shaded from the sun as she made her way out of the 'ghost town' and into the desert again.

She was carrying enough canteens to probably last until the another town with a third bag holding food and supplies for the way, packing at least for a few days depending on her proportions.

_This place seems endless that's for sure._ _Walking down ahead and it seem to be never stopping only to what I'll find next_.

She wondered if this new world she was in was an entire desert. If that was the case, then she was going to seriously have to learn and adjust to the way of crossing a desert and how to survive while she was here.

_Well I can't waste my time thinking? I gotta keep moving, can't stop here and question with this. Have to see where I am and when I reach the next town, I'm getting some answers, that for sure. _

She kept walking in the direction the compass she found in one of the general stores that she 'borrowed' pointed out, North being her best objective to head for, not stopping unless to rest under a pillar with a shadow and stay cool, sipping some water before getting up and going on. Soon the wind started to pick up and she could barely see anything with the exception of grains of sand hitting her eyes through the sunglasses.

"Shit!" She said as she tried to shield her face with both arms and see through small slits but no prevail, soon she was walking through a Hellstorm and leading her elsewhere than what she had been going, the compass becoming useless as she was leading blind in this terrible situation.

_Double shit!_ She was unable to see the small dune that she had been walking on and falling clumsily down it, rolling with all her things to follow scatter around when she reach the bottom.

_Ow, oh oomph!_ She land hard on something and laid still until it was over as soon as the storm died down and was able to turn around over before something sharp poked her as she reached out to sit up.

"Oww! That smarts!" She cried pulling back her hand and saw where it had been pricked, blood seeping out slowly from the inside of her palm and dripping to the ground. Tea looked to one side and saw what she had landed on.

She was on top of something all right, something that seem to be rock hard and solid as in a fabric feel with the feeling of it being flesh and blood.

What that was after she came face to face with a skull, a skull attached to an arm to a body. Tea stared for a minute before doing the one thing she could think of.

She screamed.

"Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


	3. Is there a doctor in the House? And int

_Chapter Three: Is there a doctor in the House? And introducing yourself to a Mind Killer_

"Eyahhh!!!!!!!!!!!!" Tea continue to shrieked, loud for even the dead to hear if it was possible and jumping off the body and backing away on her hands, putting as much distance between her and the corpse.

_Oh shit, oh shit!_ She thought as she still felt her heart racing after coming face to face with a skull alongside a dead body.

_Oh man, this is so not happening! This is definitely not my day. Ok, calm down Tea, relax and take deep breath, deep breathes now._ Tea swallow, the air seem dry and choke her a bit and taking large dry pants as she couldn't tear her eyes from the lifeless person that was laying there and with how close they've been.

So that's what might happen to her, being out here in a desert like that guy and wait for vultures to pick on her flesh leaving nothing but bones for no one to find or wonder who they were, just another unfortunate soul who got lost here in this death trap. She shuddered and try to steady herself on not freaking out any longer.

_Okay, it's a body, and it's dead. _She wiped her hands frantically on her coat after falling on top of a dead person and trying to remove the dead germs that she thought were on her right now, shuddering repulse at the feel of a dead man. God that was gross.

"Oh man, oh man, first I'm taken in by some light and in some freakin desert of God knows where, walking through said desert, find a deserted town, then walking back out here and coming across a dead body! What next huh, what the freakin HELL next on the 'How to annoy the living shit out of me today!' Huh what?!"

This was seriously turning into one fucked up of a day for her. She tried not to look at 'it' but couldn't, seeing it lie there. She was stuck in a desert with a corpse, oh great, heaven's joy!

"Company with a dead person how nice…just what I need, sorry pal but you aren't the first dead person I've seen buddy. Well like that kid in that movie said, 'I see dead people'." She groaned in her hands thinking how. "Yep that's me, how fucked up can my life get now huh? I'm sure that pretty soon I'll start losing my mind and end up joining you, mind if I take the seat next to you?" She laugh bitterly, "Of course not you're dead so it shouldn't be any problem to have some company before I start pushing daisies or kick the bucket or whatever people say when you're ready to go."

Stuck with a dead body, a corpse that was lifeless and probably decomposing by now if the sun had its way here…

Her inner conscience, however didn't see it that way, to tell the truth it seemed to have a different idea on the person lying there, second thoughts that he wasn't after all dead. '_Maybe…or maybe not? For all you know he could be sleeping._'

_Sleeping! How the fuck can he be sleeping out in a fucking desert that is about over a hundred degrees with these suns shining over our heads!_ She argued, fearing she might already be losing her sanity as she speaks, wanting to shout out loud how impossible it was that the person she fell upon was still alive. But right now she didn't give a damn that as the possibilities of this guy being among the living was one to zip in her book. _If you haven't notice, he ain't moving, breathing, god how could be still alive then?! How can a person be sleeping if he didn't even wake up when I fell on him! Or yelled my head off almost in his face._

'_You don't know if he's dead. Might be a heavy sleeper or may have fallen unconscious from lack of shade and water and needs help and you're the only one around who can provide that. There is one way to check if he is or not… Check and see if he has a pulse._'

_What are you fucking crazy?!—I mean 'me' I mean, oh whatever! There's no way in Hell I'm going to do it, no sir, nuh uh, forget it… _She grit her teeth and trying to find some excuse to keep from doing the inedible and then gave in, feeling a bit guilty for if they might be, keyword might and she was the only one here to give aid and she was being a stubborn, sighing in defeat, _Fine I'll check and see if he has a pulse. _She went over towards it, walking cautiously with small steps to try to stay alert should he be playing possum and plan to kill her or something.

_Oh great. Why me, of all people, what did I do to get this?_ Her heart lugged inside her throat and Tea swallowed hard as she moved nervously, getting closer to the body.

"Check and see if it has a pulse. Yeah sounds easy, feeling up a dead corpse oh that'll be fun. The morgue has a much better time than I'll ever have with this kind of situations." She shuddered when she finally reach its' side and got a good look at the deceased.

It was a man, a tall well-build figure wearing a dark turtleneck shirt and charcoal gray pants and a long white trenchcoat, six spikes protruded on one side to his bulky shoulder and the other holding that skull strapped with leather bands. That exact skull that she had saw before that scared her completely out of her wits.

_Ok note to self, don't stand near that Side, especially with that skull._

Taking to the opposite side with the spikes, noticing the one that poked her with blood staining its tip, she quickly made a grab for his arms and pressed two fingers hard down on the wrist, eyes shut and waiting and fearing what might she be doing was against her moral on having contact with a complete stranger, a dead stranger to be exact.

At first there seem to be nothing, no feeling, guessing rigor mortis was setting in, the arm not seeming so stiff she notice but cool that seem to jump from him to her until…there she felt it!

A pulse, this man was still alive but barely, his pulse slightly off by a few seconds but it was there and could feel it between her fingers.

Ok, so this guy is not dead, but why is it that he's not moving? Maybe he really was unconscious when she fell on him…

She should check if he had a bump or something and see if he had been knocked out or so. Tea looked over at the face by which was half covered by long dark blue hair and pushes aside the bangs and didn't find any bumps but his forehead was slightly warmer, probably from the heat but she kept feeling around before she felt the side of him, around the temple by the hairline possibly and finding some sort of dent over.

_Eh what the?!_ She pulled her hand back and gasped when she saw her fingers covered in red sticky liquid on them and knew immediately what it was.

Blood. She look from her fingers down and saw it matted to his hair and a small puddle spreading on the ground beneath his head, leaving a rusty-like color in the sand.

_Oh my GOD!_ And that's when she turned his head and saw it. There lodged into the left side of his temple, a bullet halfway in but still out, stuck in place of his head. She covered her mouth and stared in horror at the grotesques site and her stomach moving uneasily and tried to suppress the urge to lose her lunch literally.

_Who could have done this? What happened? How did he, when?! _All these thoughts were running inside her mind as to how he manage to stay alive after what he been through but now wasn't the time to be questioning as he was in need of medical help and fast.

She rushed to where her bags were lying scatter a few feet from them and started searching through each one until she had the white Red Cross medical kit in her hands and running back to him.

_Good thing I found this back in that town, wasn't too sure if I was going to use it at all._

Tea sat on one side and opened the box, pulling out the necessaries: bandages, antiseptic, hydrogen chloride, needle and a spool of thread, scissors and forceps and a small manual with medical aid listing to help step by step on certain procedures.

She knew how to take care of cuts and bruises but bullets, this was totally new and out of her ballpark and she had no medical diploma on how to do surgical remove bullets from a shot victim.

Ok, first thing to do was getting the bullet out and check to see if anything was hit through the skull to the brain.

Hopefully not but better play it safe, a guy's life was in her hands and she prayed not to make any mistakes. She was not a doctor for crying out loud!

Tea found a pair of gloves and pulling those on after using some water to wash the blood off him and holding the forceps, inspected them as they looked strong and tightable to pull lose the bullet from it prison.

Only question was she capable of possibly doing this?

_I must be out of my mind, _she pushed aside the bangs and placed the forceps around the bullet cap and close over it.

_Well it's gonna be worth a shot, no pun intend. Please let me do this right and don't let him die. Don't let me fail now…_

She closed her eyes and pulling as hard as she could, grunting with effort as it refuse to budge, putting her energy to dislodge it until the bullet came and a spray of crimson splash out.

* * *

The forceps and the five bullets were now covered in blood and laid on the ground next to the other surgical tools and Tea set the bandage down beside them after she finished.

Judging from the setting of the suns over in the west, it took almost four hours and had successfully removed the bullet and found another lodged in the left shoulder and two in the leg and three across the torso when she saw the multiple holes through him. So far, no arteries were hit and were easier than with the one in the skull to dislodge.

Taking those out and treating with the hydrogen chloride and antiseptic and snitching up the skin, grateful to have taken sewing in her spare time and bounding tightly so the wounds didn't get affected, she did at least a decent good job.

_What a relief_, _any deeper and he'd be dead_. Beside a slight scrap to his skull, a hell worth of hurting with maybe some trouble to moving without feeling some sort of strain on his limb, she saw no critical injuries or endangering his life. She figured he would survive unless they find a town with a hospital or a doctor to take a look and see how he was faring. He was breathing slowly, the rise and fall of his chest letting her know he was starting to come out of it and was sleeping for the moment and didn't dare try and wake him up.

_What he's been through, he'll probably be conked out until tomorrow…_ She started cleaning the tools and placing them back in the kit and later sat down next to him.

"Phew, that was something," She said pushing her sweaty bangs out of her eyes, man it got really hot here and had remove her coat and shirt, leaving the small top she had which was now covered in sweat but worked through before night fell and seeing what she was doing in the dark would be harder on her.

"You were lucky I came otherwise you'd be buzzer chow by now!" She said then sighed as she turned to look at the person she just saved.

She never got a chance until now to look at him thoroughly and staring curiously, starting off with his face. Without thinking, her hand reaching out and tracing with her fingers every detail of him that revealed to her touch.

He was rather handsome and did seem kind of charming but his visage was set in a serious and determined expression yet had a soft appeal and innocent serene, giving him an almost angelic appearance while he slept.

Eyes obscured behind those long unruly bangs and went to brush them back from his brow, the faint shadows outlining and circling around them and seeing how smooth the eyebrows were and well defined with high feathery arch strokes.

_I wonder what color his eyes are? They must certainly be gorgeous like the rest of him…_ She blushed and decided to push that aside and continued where she left off, stroking his smooth tan cheeks and the planes of his prominent cheekbones, the feel of satin skin that she thought was impossible to have especially in this kind of dry surroundings and probably take a lot of moisturizers to keep it like this.

Moving over the tip of his nose and down to where she outline his jaw and stop for a second before gently caressing his lips and mesmerize at the very mere touch and made her shiver suddenly.

_Why is it I'm feeling the need to do more than touch him with my fingers and with my…_ she thought, taking in how her hand was still trembling and try to control it and when she brought them to her face and pressed the tips to her mouth, feeling the vague warmth that had been from his own just moments ago.

Closing her eyes she envision it calling out to lean over, her body hovering his and their face inches away and parted lips taking in the warm breath before closing the distance between them…

She blink and for a split second saw what she was doing and draw back abruptly.

_Whoa what in god's name am I doing!_ She thought standing up and sitting as far she could after being this close from giving in to her own wild temptation.

_I-I almost did what I've been thinking, I almost went and…_Her heart started to throb faster as she pressed her hand over it and trying to steady the uncontrollable beating that seem to make her chest tighten at how it lunged against her ribcage.

She heard him groan and anxiety taking over as she went to check if he was all right and felt a strange volt surge up her arm when she touched him.

_What the?!_ Pulling back and rubbing both arms, feeling the hairs stand up between her fingers. That was most certainly strange, it was as if her whole body was being sparked inside out. In other words like needles and pins going all over her.

_What the hell was that?! _She wondered what was going on and what was that all about before she heard him again, this time louder and look like he was having some sort of feverish dream the way his eyebrows knit together.

_He's ok but I'm not so sure with the way he's like this._ She looked over at him on the ground and after getting over being shocked and thought it uncomfortable for his head to lie on the hard ground and might be easier if he had a pillow.

_Well unfortunately, I didn't go grab any on my way here so I need to find something suitable for him, but what. _She thought it carefully through and checking her options many times before shaking her head, muttering, "Guess I really have no choice then. Can't believe I'm actually going to be doing this but here goes."

She went over and lifted his head, careful as to not disturb him and rested him on her lap. She waited and seeing that he was a little calmer and relaxed now than before. Tea smiled, her hand resting on his head and raking through his long blue hair again.

It was so soft, like silk and was the color of the midnight sky or a coming storm, running her fingers through his thick navy locks. She watched as his breathing was normal and that his lips move slightly.

Again she thought what it would be like to touch those lips, to actually taste them. She thought about this until she felt her head bending down and feeling his breath right with hers.

Soon her thoughts came back and she stopped just an inch away from him. WHAT NOT AGAIN?! She pulled back, their lips almost touching and gasped.

_Shit I nearly kiss him, again! That was a close call just now. What the Hell is happening to me? Why do I keep wanting to kiss him, I barely know the guy for crying out loud!_

Tea lifted his head off her lap, feeling that if she had him on her any longer that she might do it again and not be able to stop herself. As they say, third time a charm and a curse as well.

She wanted to make him comfortable but not so she could…_I need to do something to keep me occupied otherwise who knows how long it will be before I try that again!_

She grabbed her knapsack and placed it under him, then grabbing the trenchcoat from before and using as a cover to stay warm. She looked up to the sky and saw that the stars were now out and night was upon them.

_Better start a fire and cooks some dinner when he's up to it._ She went through the other bags and found the small bundle of woods she scraped off the bar and stools she manage to break apart and tied together with some rope and a box containing the flint and steel.

Gathering them into a small pile, she striking the steel and flint together and continued to making sparks until it hit the wood and blowing on it as the wood caught fire and burning brightly and warming her hands and feeling the heat against her palms. She smiled at her handiwork and went to go and find some can soup seeing it would probably be the best for now and something to cook with, setting them aside and readying all the necessary ingredients together. Again she wondered just who did she actually save anyways? Perhaps when he wakes up, all her questions will be answered…

* * *

Meanwhile while Tea was making the necessary preparation for their dinner, her back turn to the man lying on the ground who was slowly stirring from his slumber, the blue-haired stranger recovering from his recent injuries and trying to figure what was going on.

Who was he some ask? A born killer with hatred dwelling in his heart, mind and spirit who thought of nothing but wanted to make Vash the stampede suffer for believing in this so-called 'humanity' and his attempts to save this pathetic race from extinction at their doing. Such a fool surely for having such high hopes for these low lives that weren't even worthy to lick the dirt off his master's shoes…

He himself was fulfilling his duties for his master, Knives, following whatever he commands and as his loyal servant obeys every waking desire that compels for him to oblige his abilities to give him the ultimate satisfaction. Once the leader of the Gung-ho Guns and the bringer of Vash's suffering.

Many never truly knew who he was or the truth behind this mysterious stranger, unable to figure about this man's past or whereabouts other that he comes into town that few took notice then disappear, along with many of the people that originally lived there though none ever suspect it was because of him that caused it. The only way to know was by the given name to those he would later kill to let the devil know who send them, remembering that piercing gold eye behind his messy long hair and knew that he was like the very demon sending them to the very fiery pits of Hell itself.

Legato Bluesummers if that was really his name but no one would ever know for sure. Now that he was the one to meet his own maker or so he thought.

Legato had known he should be the moment the bullet was shot and saw only darkness and his mind numbing faster than he expected the gunman to do when he killed him. But one thing seem off and for all he could tell was he certainly wasn't a 100 percent, fifty of still being alive and the other whether he was in limbo or not. But that was impossible wasn't it? The first sign that he was among the living and still kicking, well not more than likely was that he could feel and the dead can't now can they.

The pain, the tension of bleeding profoundly with every shot he remember going through him as each impact of those bullets, tearing away the flesh, muscle and tendon and exiting through, screaming inside yet would never allow it to be shown, not even through the worse torture possible to his foes, regardless if one wasn't up to doing such to his fellow man but then again he wasn't like normal mortals and in that case wasn't to him.

Why should he, after all he had no soul whatsoever after selling it to the devil himself some might say, whether it was true or not? Even when at the brink of death would he endure this from forcing the one man he desire to make pay for his master's misery and let him see the truth behind everything around them, holding up his mask and plastering another of his cold uncaring smiles? Many lives he caused to go through such terrorizing agony in his own methods but never to himself under such circumstances unless his master wished it and did without second thoughts for the sake of him.

His life flashing before his eyes…a devastating smothering sickness, crushing him, reducing him to nothing but ashes of bitter anger and rage left inside the shell of his existence.

Angry that he had failed his mission to cause Vash the ultimate suffering at taking his life and rage that he didn't kill him when he had the chance if this was how it have been the case and just rid the damn birdbrain himself. He should have and the knowledge taunted him when hearing the voices of those long since forgotten saying in a mocking tone and tried to shut them out, all those he easily erased from this planet with a mere thought.

Legato had never once felt an ounce of regret for those he had killed over the years. His past, they were only the tiny shadows in the corner of his darkest dreams, a hateful cruel being reside there that threaten to swallow him whole and leave nothing behind, the lingering presence that was driven away when his master was there, giving him the will to fight his inner demon or least try to 'kill' before it possess him in some matter.

He trusted Knives to keep them locked away, those horrible voices that call out to him, never considering what would happen had they returned and intensified to the bitter end of his life to haunt with their relentless screams and anguish cries and meaningless words. Faces he never see because he could care less about who they were but their voices always ringing inside his head until Vash shot him and they had been silenced.

He only now appreciated how free he had been. But now that freedom was gone and now the memories would return and he would have no one to protect him, to defend from those nightmares of his darken soul.

He had to wake! He must before they come!

His eyes snapped open, finally becoming aware of his surroundings, the place where he thought would be his own grave but not anymore as he laid there, uncertain and questioning his immediate resurrection.

The twin suns had since long past and saw night had fallen in, the two moons illuminating brightly above his head with the stars as well and could make out some of the constellations in the sky.

His left shoulder ached but the presence of the bullet was gone replace with something over but still feels the burning metal entering his body and pulling out from the flesh.

_And thus the pain of living is this to which man condemns himself for all his sins to writhe in torment of his eternal soul, _he said mockingly in a preaching tone as he struggled into a sitting position only to fall back and his head hitting onto whatever underneath him.

_What the?!_ He didn't have anything soft like this when he hit the hard earth before.

He turned his head sideways knowing that someone must be here as to how else would he have been alive and given medical attention.

Whoever had the gall to save him he was going to make them go through slow and painful torture and begging for death when he was through. The blame on Vash and the one who had come to his aid would both pay dearly once he finds them.

He laid still, his body would certainly take a while to heal and be able to move about again but taking his time scanning the area around to find out on the one who came to his rescue. _They'll suddenly wish they hadn't once I acquire enough strength to…_

He saw two bags, a first aid kit lying next to them sitting by, the heat of warmth coming off the side and the smell of blood, antiseptic, smoke and other familiar odors in the air and was overcome with a strong twisting in the gut like a knife thrust in by the heavy scents he inhaled into his lung and almost choked him.

Next thing he knew he was promptly met with a wave of nausea and not making it any better, having barely eaten anything since Vash had come to take his life.

Turning over on his stomach, crawling to the side and held himself up by his hands and knees and retched until he was making dry heaves and spat the bile taste out when he finished.

God…he felt like he was emptying his soul as well as his body of all that was in him. He was nothing more than a soulless incarnate that twists their weak minds and brought them to their knees with the mere thought of death and destruction wherever he went.

Still shaken and touch the side of his mouth with one gloved hand, the blood that he brought up confirmed his suspicions of internal injury and recognizing the signs of dehydration.

Just as he was trying to stand up on his own feet, pain shot through his whole body and taking three steps, trying to keep his knees from knocking together and the world from spinning before his vision he heard a sharp gasp and then something being dropped.

Legato whirled around and saw someone by the small bonfire from where he was and heading over towards him before he felt himself unable to hold up much longer, his legs buckling and falling forward. But instead of hitting the ground, something stopped him by grabbing him around the waist and laying him back down, dragging and having a difficult time doing so.

The person was trying to turn him over which wasn't easy and sliding the knapsack that served as his pillow and putting his trenchcoat over as it lay on the floor when he first got up. Legato was now able to take a good look at the person who saved him thanks to the light of the fire that brought out her form but even in the dim lighting could he see up close as they bend over, worry and concern crossing over her face.

A young woman with light brown hair pulled back behind her ears and behind her shoulders and long bangs covering her face with the exception of her peach colored skin glowing under the radiant moons and staring with the most beautiful azure he had ever laid eyes upon. For a moment he seemed lost in her gaze, drowning in those sky blue jewels until she blinked before asking something he couldn't hear.

Her lips moving but couldn't understand a word she said or he might have gone deaf but he doubt it as his hearing seem fine and could hear everything around them except her. Whatever the case, his abilities of reading and controlling the mind should still be intact if there wasn't any damage done and what better than to look inside hers and find out what she was thinking.

_**He's awake, thank goodness. For a moment, I thought he wasn't going to make it but when I heard him vomiting like that and doesn't look all that pleasant—oh no! Is that blood?! Oh that's not good! Oh what am I suppose to do!**_

Legato watched as she rushed off, rummaging through one of her bags for something while still thinking to himself as the reason behind her purpose of aiding him. Why would she do that? Didn't she know who he was? Too exhaust after his attempt and went to relax, staring at the heavens and considering her actions as to who would do something for a killer like him?

The answer wasn't easy to decipher or understand and while in this state was force to lay here and watch what she was doing, trying to figure what was her motive to saving him, if there was one.

* * *

Once Tea had the fire going and knowing it would give them both enough warmth with how she set it close for her and the sleeping stranger.

When she went to cook dinner, the soup already brewing and the aroma making her hungry after all that hard work, she was surprised to hear a grunt from behind and turn to see him standing up and shaking in his vain struggle. Hearing him puke suddenly caught her attention and drop the pot at once and saw him look as she made her way towards him before he suddenly faint and falling forward and hurrying to his aid and seized him around the torso and proceed to lay him back down.

God he weigh a ton, probably two-ten, her best estimate as it was like dragging a goddamn horse. She just hoped it wouldn't put any strain on her part to lifting him.

After she manages to put him down which she thought a miracle and seeing he was now awake and staring at her.

Well one eye was, his bangs hanging over the left side and seem to be that way naturally falling in his face, enough for an opening to allow her to see and her heart pounding all of a sudden and thought might burst from gazing of that golden orb of his.

His eyes, much like a hawk's, so fierce and intense during the hunt and heading in for thrill of the kill was what seem to be in his penetrating gaze.

_Ok what with him, it's like he's trying to read my mind or something._ It was impossible surely and berated herself for thinking such nonsense but still couldn't help as he was still giving her that fixed look.

She tried to speak but unable to speak or make a sound and when seeing the blood within the spew he chucked up, lost for words and decided to take action, fearing it might fail her as well and would need all she can to help him. God she'd have to get rid of it or bury at least before she might lose hers if the stench didn't.

She went to exam his wounds, wondering if any of the stitches have come loose and might have cause the reaction but before her hand could even touch the fabric of his shirt and remove it, his hand shot out and grabbed hers. She was to say the least shocked and surprised at the same time by his fast reflexes. She might have expected him to be a bit sluggish in his movement but didn't seem likely and very much proven wrong at how quick he had display his immediate reaction. His vise grip grasping her that almost threaten to squeeze the life out of her fingers and turn the bones into splinters yet wasn't taking notice as she watched him struggling to sit in an upright position, using her as a support and his other arm to lean behind his back.

_Oh god, he shouldn't be doing that! Not after what happened! His body hasn't even fully recovered, let alone is still probably too weak and might collapse again from exhaustion!_

She was finally able to regain her senses, astonish with his attempt and saying almost what first came after many tries, "Y-you really shouldn't be doing this, you haven't fully recover yet and need to regain your strength, lie back down and rest while I'll bring you some—" But he didn't listen or pay any regards as he let go, finding he was now capable of holding up on his own without her and went to removing his shirt himself.

Tea blushed when she notice him undressing and averting her eyes to the other side, not wanting to be rude and give him some privacy for the moment yet should be her doing that for him as he was the injured victim and required medical attention to.

Sure when she went to remove the bullets out, trying to roll the sleeve and where she saw the others and had to take off both the shirt and coat and quickly went to work, surgically dislodging out of his chest and bandaging it before pulling only his shirt on, leaving the coat aside and using as a blanket of sorts. The pants were a bit out of the question and able to pull them up past the knees and covered over the wrap when she was done. And he had been unconscious the whole time!

She stared over at the fire and trying not to think about how well tone his body was when she vaguely glimpses it and once again telling herself to stop that.

_God let me know when it's over. _Turning her head slightly and saw only a second glance his naked back to her and her face becoming redder than a tomato when she spun away and praying he hadn't notice otherwise she might die of embarrassment from admitting he did have a good backside despite all those scars.

* * *

Legato saw first his shoulder, feeling the gauze covering it and the bandage wrapped around his chest and slightly wince at the pain where the bullet gone through and cursing and spouting colorful words in his mind as he thought of Vash and his stupidity for not finishing him off like he was suppose to.

_Vash, you fool. You great, blundering idiotic IMBELIC! _He'd assumed he would die and when you're dead, you don't come back and start living again. You don't have to be a genius to figure that.

Because the bullet hadn't gone where it should have, through his brain and only halfway, leaving him in an unconscious state and believing to be dead.

He wasn't DEAD! Vash must have done it on purpose! Damnit! So what was he supposed to DO?! Everything he had worked for, all for his master were all in vain now. Damn, he wished he had a solution to his problem but none came up.

He sense movement and look behind and saw the girl, her face red as the light cast on her and was going over to grab something from one of the bags she had. She pulled it out and carried it back to him. Tea this time didn't look at his body but straight in his face, his eyes never leaving her as she sat back down before him. Now what did she wanted?

"Lie down." She said and he stared, not sure if he heard correctly and not planning to do what she asked. His brow furrowed. Why should he listen to her? He didn't take orders other than his master and she was no exception.

She closed her eyes and sighed, thinking he was being too damn stubborn and said once more for him to understand the picture of his predicament, "Look, you and I both know that you can't handle on your own with what you've been through and being near death's door and dehydrated and feverish. So please let me help you all right?"

He couldn't find any other reason as much as he would have like to because what she said was true. He was a bit warm and she had touched his forehead earlier on and confirmed it, knowing thanks to being out in the hot suns did a lot of the damage in his comatose state. Seeing that she was concerned on his welfare and it hurt too much to think and knowing it was unlike him to be giving in so easily but his body and mind were too tired to argue.

He watched as she opened the canteen and helped lifted his head halfway and pouring the water to his lip and letting some dribble down his chin.

He drank too fast the first time and found himself spurting water from his mouth then slowly taking small sips and going down his throat with ease, the liquid refreshing and help settle his stomach a bit. When he had his filled, she took a cloth out of her pocket and poured some on it. Soon she was pressing it to his body and dabbing with tenderness over the areas that he recently received and being careful with what she was doing. He closed his eyes for a moment and realized how soft her hands were on him, spreading the damp cloth all over, her touch soothing and relaxed.

* * *

_I can do this, I can do this. Just get this done and over with as soon as possible._

She kept telling herself this even as she was trying to bring the fever down by cooling him off. But she couldn't help hearing the gentle sighs he made and staring down from his chest at every muscle and the many scars he acquired that covered almost every inch on his pale skin. So many and judging from how old they were and wondering if he received him from gang fights or a battle of some kind. But some to tell the truth, look like they had been inflicted. Inflicted by someone…

She swallowed and breathing heavily through her nose and went to focus her attention back on the task at hand, _Ok just relax and do this, don't think so much on how he got them no matter how much they are almost…_

She didn't have to be reminded and last thing she needed was to remembered it and was going in small circles around and was careful enough when coming across his markings and pushing the idea on how he got them far from her mind.

* * *

The cool liquid was settling his heated skin, dampening the bandages slightly to let the moisture go through then moving to his face and pushing his bangs and laying it on his forehead. It seems to do the trick as he felt the fever passing and fading away and shifted his sights on her as she pulled the coat over and laying it on his chest.

"You better get some rest. " She said as she took notice of him staring at her once again, "You were very much injured when I found you and was able to take those bullets out."

He scowled despite how right she was but who did she think she was to tell him what to do like she oblige of him like to her whim as a servant?

"And what makes you think I'll be thankful for what you did? To what may I asked compelled you to save me when you have no idea as to who I am in the first place?" He sat up, leaning against his elbows forgetting how it hurt to move and speaking in the same crisped voice that he was use to getting his way with his suave and collected demeanor, forcing others to their knees with one glance and could make even the bravest of souls cowered when he cross their path.

He place one arm on his legs and prop his hand under his chin still looking to where she was, "Did you honestly expect someone like me to give gratitude to the very like of you for saving my life? People who end up here, always come for one reason and one reason alone: they want to end it, their painful misery of what they call a existence to which we all find sooner or later without having to take more than a glance at their own inner reflection of the human soul. Why else do you think most would rather die by the hands of another than their own, personally to see them carry the burden on their shoulders."

He saw that her mouth fell open, gaping like a fish out of water and could see the shock written on her face and dumbfounded by what she just heard.

_How can he believe in such a philosophy and saying all my effort were nothing and a complete waste of my time?! Most would probably be glad to be alive but no not him! Of all the people to find, he turns out to be a prick, if he wasn't injured I would…_

Her fist clenched and unclenched, resisting the urge to very much knock some sense into him and standing as she walk towards the fire, her back turn and knees crouched before taking one glance over seeing he was now looking to where the horizon border, not giving any attention her direction as he sat there silent.

"That's the worst bull I've ever heard and that one takes the cake." And putting her hands firmly on her hips and scowling, "And to answer that other question you asked earlier as to why I save you it because it's better than to stay out here waiting to die a slow painful death alone."

_Trust me I know the feeling as if I been on that road before and it's not something anyone should go down, especially when you're thinking life's without a reason or can be cruel either way. _She didn't want to admit it even to a complete stranger like him as he wouldn't have any idea what she had been through but knew the obvious pain of being by one self without someone by their side their whole lives.

_**Like I would ever need to understand from the likes of you…**_

Spinning around as all her thoughts and intentions of doing no harm vanished like drift in the wind and turning into a raging hurricane, her eyebrow twitching like mad. Okay, so this was the thank she get for at least helping his sorry ass.

_I did not spend four hours, four fucking hours removing those bullets and wasn't easy let me tell you buster and gives me this kind of crap?! If you weren't already in pain I give you hell myself if I would. _She grit her teeth and fuming slightly while trying to not lost control or go off the hinges as she rant inside her head until her face was red from frustration.

_Boy what a jackass! What's his problem anyways not that I care? Whatever, just don't lose your cool, try to think of something else. _

She stared back into the fire, counting to ten and her mood meddling slightly and deciding a change in subject was needed and even if he might not answer either way, it will lessen the dullness around them.

"Hey…" She said turning around and see he was lying to the side and seeming bored staring at nothing but his head cocked slightly and seem to be waiting to hear what she had to say, "What's your name? I never really got to find out so why don't we try and start off fresh."

"Why should I tell you?" He asked, not really caring and in no mood for a quarrel or a conversation either one, though curious as to why she would be requesting that from him, "What is there for me to give to you even for a little girl like yourself."

"Because I want to know that's why. And how dare you call me a little girl, that's insulting!" She saw him turn and this time saw the look he gave was almost like staring into the eyes of a predator.

"Two reasons. One: you are one to me and obvious to gender and two: If I told you, then I would have to kill you…girl." He stated, liking how he could get under her skin like that. She stared ticked, trying to think of a comeback and knowing how Joey must felt whenever Seto called him a 'mutt'.

_Oh of all the things to call me, what nerve I swear that jerk is, who does he think he is anyways and I'm not a little kid for Heaven's sakes you idiot unless you're too blind to see my chest to tell! _

"Fine then, if you won't then it your business, I won't force you but gotta call you something other than 'Guy'. Give me a nickname or whatever you make up is all right in my book but stop referring me 'girl', I have a name and it's Téa. Téa Gardener—I mean Kaiba. Téa Gardener Kaiba."

She figured he wouldn't answer so she just turned and watch the crackling bright flames licking away the bit of wood and smoke curling in gray wisp towards the sky. She didn't expect what happened when she heard his voice yet didn't sound like it was carried out but was in her head.

_**Legato…**_

_What_, wondering where that come from and out of the blue and looked over her shoulder and saw he hadn't move from his spot but something told her that 'voice' was from him even when it hadn't escape his lips the first or second time as it repeated itself more clearly.

**_Legato Bluesummers._ _And I meant what I said when I would kill anyone who asked for my name or dares stands in my way, so I watch out if I were you, Téa. This is a warning so I suggest you keep this in your head for future reference that I tell you and better pay close attention to them as I'll say it only once and don't like to repeat myself._ **

Téa not sure why but she got chills all of a sudden, even sitting close to the fire didn't melt them as it shook her to the very marrow of her bones as those words repeat themselves over and ignoring him for the rest of the evening as she stared at the midnight sky above.

_Just what have I gotten myself into? _She hoped saving this guy, Legato hadn't been the biggest mistake of her life. If it was, then she was utterly screwed for sure.


	4. You Have Nightmares, well so do I! I See

_Chapter Four: You Have Nightmares, well so do I! I Seen Your Scars now it's my turn to show mine!_

Téa was feeling restless as she toss and turn, mumbling incoherent words in her sleep and shivering as the night was cool on her bare skin and her only warmth was from the navy trenchcoat and staying as close as possible without being burned by the sparks that jumped out and threaten to set her on fire.

But that was not why she was having such a hard time falling asleep and had enough worries to consider no matter how many times she tell herself not to dream those dreams.

Her nightmares she knew all too well the horror that awaited her the moment her eyes were close and sleep took her in its dark folds to see the past replay themselves in her conscious.

* * *

She remembered everything, all the vivid details from the dull colorings on the walls that seem to peel away revealing falling plaster to the very crack ceilings themselves, counting over a hundred until she lost place and started over finding a new one each year. This had been the place she dreamed about where she had been in the worst childhood ever since she was brought into this world and into the hands of cruelty.

A little girl about four-five, was huddled, trapped in the corner like a tiny mouse as a lurking shadow was coming towards her, her small body shaking and fidgeting, aching from the bruises that she had received earlier that morning and soon would be more coming and wanting to get as far away as possible to escape this.

Her eyes widens and whimpering in a timid voice, begging him to stop, her plea falling on deaf ears as she tried to use her arms to fend from his blows the best she could but was useless against him. Standing in front of her was the one person she had never felt more truly afraid of or felt such anger towards who deserved this more than anyone she ever known.

'_Daddy please stop, please_._ You're drunk, you're not yourself, please don't daddy…_' She could see herself on the verge of tears as she recalls the many times she had swore never to do that in front of him. It only made things worse when he looked at her with those cold dead eyes and his words slur but understood them very well as she heard it dozens of time before.

'_Shut the fuck up you little bitch!_' He yelled, kicking his foot out and the pain shooting through her whole body but was unable to take a stand against him as he was ten times her size and probably could break her neck like a twig with his beefy hands but wanted to make her suffer long enough before he might do just that.

Her father, the horrid, hateful bastard she had to call for a parent was nothing and wouldn't consider one for all the pain he put her through and never forgive him even when he passed away long time ago.

A drunkard and beater, that's the best way to described him and was all he'll ever be and if he didn't stop drinking, he would died an early death from his liver collapsing on him which she hoped would be soon. She knew she should think such thoughts against any person, but he was no person, no more like a monster that loved to torture and frighten little kids.

He was angry with her again for whatever reason more or less her fault and had been drinking from the bottle again, probably needing to knock his senses out while he went to without any regrets other than a terrible hangover and sleeping through the day while leaving her to tend her wounds and trying to stay quiet to not disturb him. Last thing she would want was to wake him from his drunken stupor and have the beating start all over.

The stench of booze hung heavily on his breath, it stunk, trying not to gag as she knew she would be going through hell when he was like this and was right as a fist struck her across the face hard and saw stars forming in her vision and would find one of her eyes blacken the next day.

'_It's your fault!' _Smack! His hand hit her again, this time with the ring on his middle finger to leave a scratch on her right cheek.

'_Your fault my wife's dead,' _A kick to her stomach and couldn't hold it in and retched half of whatever little supper she ate on the ground and on her lap, covering her blue overall and the smell disgusting her as her father continue his rants without stopping to catch his breath or his tantrum, relenting all his anger on her.

'_She was never suppose to have children, especially not you!' _He punched her and her nose was bleeding but luckily not broken and drenching her shirt in red as blood and snot stain it.

'_She died because of you, you little shit!_' Soon there was more kicks and blows landed on her face and tiny frail body, unable to defend herself which might lead to more when this was over if she didn't take it now.

Tea never did know who her mother was. She died in childbirth and her father had been putting the blame on her ever since and giving out the worse punishments for her to endure at this young age.

Yelling at her whether what she did was accidental or not and made her feel useless and unwanted with what he told her, calling her pathetic and stupid and other names that would repeat themselves.

Sending her to bed with no supper and happened loads of times that she could count the many ribs through her clothes and had to hold the drawstring to keep her pants from falling down and tripping over them.

Locking her in a closet, forcing her to stay in there for a week and cry before he starts telling her to shut her fucking trap or it'll be another week and she clam up after only audible whimpering in the darkness when he wasn't around.

Using his belt to leave red welts on the skin that took about few days to recover but doing endlessly to have it bleed and her shirt ruin and blood caking them and having to either discard and hide the scars from plain side should anyone see and dare asked and trouble could ensue.

Punching and kicking was almost his favorite pastime and sometimes having her break a bone or two which took a very long time to heal without proper medical treatment and going through the pain of it and feeling it out of the socket or dislocate that could have easily left her cripple for life if it did but hadn't to her great relief.

All this because she had killed her mother and she believed it, everything because if it hadn't why else would her father be the way he is and would receive this as her sins…

'_Don't daddy, please!' _She was crying and her tears mingling with the blood and crimson streaks staining both cheeks.

'_I didn't mean to kill her! I never mean to kill mommy! Honest Daddy, I never would!'_

'_Shut your mouth you dirty little liar!' _Her father slapped her, her cheek red and swelling and soon would be swollen and trying not to cry out as it wouldn't make it any difference to him either way.

'_You're no daughter of mine! You know what you are…'_ His voice growling and shaking her head wildly and strands of hair sticking to her wet cheeks and not wanting to say anything to make the situation worse than it already was. She didn't want to hear what her father always told her, those same cruel unkind words that repeat themselves over and over like a broken record. She hated how it gave him the satisfaction of seeing her like this.

'_No daddy, please, I don't want to hear it.'_ She covered her ears but the words still penetrated, they always did no matter how hard she tried not to listen and creep inside her head loud for her to hear.

Her father's eyes were now dark empty pools boring into hers and smiling like a maniac, his thin lips pulled back and barked in a loud voice that made her cringe inside.

'_You're a murder. A fucking murdering bitch.' _A maniac laugh escapes his cold lips, echoing around them as she suddenly seeing the horror of his flesh sliding off his face, revealing the white bones underneath and one eyeball popping out and rolling towards her, staring accusingly while the rest of him decompose before her very eyes, the smell of rotting flesh and the laughing skull saying once more before it fell forward and into her lap, it's jaw opening once more to shout, _'Murderer!!!!!!_'

'NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'

* * *

"No!!!!!!" She cried out. Lurch upright and found herself in the desert, her coat falling to the ground on the side.

Her heart was pounding. Though she panted, she couldn't seem to get enough air. Her breathing grew shallow and her chest clenched painfully and thought she might choke if she didn't let it in. She swallowed, the lump jiggling down her throat and her lungs sucking in then out and again until she was much calmer but who could after relieving a traumatized childhood as only being your worst memories and try to put it far from your mind?

She glance over her shoulder to the other side and saw Legato lying with his back turn and could hear the soft snore that he was very much asleep and hadn't been disturbed. Good, last thing she need was for him to be awake and wondering and asking questions she didn't feel like answering at the moment.

Tea checking to make sure he wasn't watching and reaching around to grasp the bottom of her shirt in back and removed it and laying it on the ground and gently went to touch the scars that marred from her spine down below.

Those scars from when her father left his mark on her flesh and let her hand roam all the disfigured and jagged lines, the flow of hateful memories and wish that she could erase from existence of where she got each and every one of them. Only one person had known and understand what she been through, having suffer the same himself with his own father, well stepfather but still had been enduring torture as well.

For a second she thought she heard something but when she turned and saw nothing, Legato showing no trace of movement other then the slight intake of breath as he breathed in then out.

_Must have been the wind?_ She looked up to the sky, the two moons shining beautifully, _when are these nightmares going to end? How long must my dad torture me when he's not even here? Is he planning to haunt me for the rest of my life? _

_God why?_ _It's not fair, why do I deserve this?_ She put her shirt on and cover her back again then laying down, turning on her side and pulled her knees to her chest and curled up like a small frightened child she once was, weeping silently until she fell fast into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Though it would seem like Legato was in a well rested state, sleeping oblivious to what was happening but was however not having a good dream like Tea herself minutes before her screams woke him and brought him back to reality. For him, dreaming was nothing unless considering seeing red such as the blood that flows freely or hearing the vain cries of all his victims to echo inside his mind. Sometimes it was an empty abyss when he had to shroud darkness to calm his thoughts and yet the only time he dreamed were about the ones coming to haunt him, his nightmares…

They were his memories of the past. Of the ones he hated for as long as he could remember in his entire existence those he had come to feel nothing for and hold no mourn of his losses when they passed on.

His mother and father had always and punished him for things he never did but wish to rebel against them as they thought were superior when they had nothing to show other than being the worst people he ever knew and love taking their pain on them. Besides, neither of them were great shakes of human being. Not to him and cursed what he had gone through, all his memories beginning at a young naïve age.

Young, yes but naïve he wasn't, his father beat him up for Legato knew the truth behind it every time he stare into their eyes and saw well hidden behind their hooded gaze.

They despised him with a passion and he felt the same way for them with equal amounts, perhaps more as he could feel the irk rising with every passing second, with each beating that come to pass, he endure and waiting patiently for the moment to strike.

Everyone hated and detested Legato Bluesummers and when he meant everyone, he meant his parents, the people and the children in his town, everyone. Everybody except one who'd never felt like the others and didn't share their same aspect of him, not for her own brother.

His sister, Minako….

Sweet kind innocent little Minako, she always stood by him, never once leaving his side, trying her best to protect her brother when she knew she would suffer the same treatment as all the sneers and insults and blows from the other kids and the cold stares from the adults. Even taking a hit or two from their father when he was dealing out blows on him. She kept the cruel world from hurting her older brother and had promised that she would in the end never let anyone harm him ever again. Oh how foolish she was

He remembered her words when she seen him gotten into a brawl against father after having the last straw and went to defend himself.

'_Why Legato…why?' _Why indeed…. He asked this many times before as memories of the day when everything took a turn and his life changed forever in that precise moment.

* * *

'_Father, please leave big brother alone, he didn't mean to!'_ She cried at both her parents who had decided to gain up against them, an eight-year-old Minako and a ten-year-old Legato.

Enough was not enough for them and the torture was only the beginning. They stared at Legato with so much hate and disgust, not any different than the ones he was used to and the slash of his father's belt hit him and not giving in for their pleasure of seeing him cry out. He never did and in any circumstance would he surrender to the pain and let it get to him. The names and the whipping continue to pelt down, the buckle leaving welts and cause the skin to break and blood to creep down his naked back, his hands tied tightly by the doorknob to prevent his escape and Minako struggled to break free from her mother's grasp and help her brother.

Hw heard them all before and wasn't anything different or new that he had been called and took them. A bastard, a son of a bitch though ironic as the mother was standing on the other side egging his father to make Legato, a mistake that needed to be taught a lesson and go over the edge.

The taunts continued as they led onward to more of the usual ones he knew.

Demon! Monster! Freak! 

People said that as he was no ordinary child, oh no he was a boy with the Devil's soul, a spawn of Satan that should have been killed at birth.

And Legato felt the hatred consuming his mind and his soul blacken as they left their mark on him. Too long had he had been seen as anything not human and swore to kill anyone in his path and those who dare interfere would suffer the same.

Without hesitation or second thoughts to hold him back, his own emotions fueling his power and allow the dark gift to take control and killed them.

He forced them to do the unthinkable and as both his parents, his godforsaken parents that were nothing but puppets following the strings of the puppet master and control their minds and wills to fight and helpless to his whim. Mother release Minako who rush to her brother and untying the rope around his wrists while she went and grab the knife from the kitchen and went to go slice father's hand off, blood spurting from the stump where he had used that same fist to smash into Legato's face and slap him while he butchered her with his hunter knife. Legato and Minako listen to their screams as the pain and blood that came spilling out hotly on the floor and hacking each other to pieces.

As they watched the gruesome and gory display and when it was finished both bodies lying on the floor, surrounded by bits of their limbs and flesh, beyond recognition of being their parents and staring at the ceiling with blank gazes.

Legato realized how this power felt so dark and desirable, the deaths intoxicating and made him alive and invincible. He thirst for more, he wanted to kill the other bastards who hated him and have the chance to watch them writhe like the worms they were in sheer torture as he destroy them one by one like he easily done with his parents.

He turn and saw his sister with confusion and horror written on her face as she look to him, possibly realizing was his doing and that she might be next.

"Legato…" She whispered, her face ashen and taking a step back and wanting to run as far away as possible, her fears betraying her and shaking as she stared at him with wide eyes.

She saw underneath his mask and realizing he was exactly like everyone said, those gold eyes gleaming with an evil presence and having witness what he done as if he had been the one holding the knives and butchering their parents himself.

Legato sense her terror and half of him wanting to kill her because she was the only one in sight and had seen what he was capable of, the other refusing to because she was still his sister, the only person he ever come to trust and love. He was battling against his conscious and was losing badly as his need to kill was becoming stronger.

_'**She watched you use your gift on your parents to kill each other…'**_

'_We've always been through a lot together, there's no way I would do that to her…'_

'_**She wants to get away from you, she see you now as a monster instead of her brother…'**_

'_She always protected me, always there when I knew she shouldn't and loves me…'_

'_**She knows the real truth and she hates you too…just like everyone else.'**_

Just like everyone else…just like every damn person in this town! She was like the others and hated him. He could see for himself how frighten she was and when he reach out to touch her, her hand slapped it away and there was no doubt that she would never think of him as her brother but as the monster he'd become. That did it.

He looked at her for the last time as his sister who was now his hated enemy and with his mind, forced her to commit her death.

'Why Legato…why…' She whispered before he had taking over, forcing her to walk across the room and taking the knife that had been plunged inside their mother's chest and point to hers and then staking it into her own cruel black heart without feelings of remorse or sense of regret over his own sibling.

Blood spurted out and she dropped to the floor, dead. He walked over to the three corpses and trended to the nearest one that happened to been his sister. Minako.

His sweet beautiful Minako, no longer would he hear her wonderful laughter or see her smile with joy as now only lifeless eyes stared at him. Suddenly he saw her blink and staggering up on her own feet and went to reach out for his throat with her cold lifeless hands. She tighten her grasp on him and forcing them to fall to the ground, Legato struggling against his sister who hairs was tangling and making it difficult to break loose and covering his face and getting in his mouth and eyes. He saw the wild dangerous look in her empty eyes.

'_Murderer!!!!!!' _ She shrieking in a banshee-like matter and then heard a scream, perhaps his own or not that brought him back to the world he was with a start.

* * *

He opened his eyes but didn't turn as he heard the girl 'Tea' woke up and started panting loudly. He frown, despite how he had been having a terrible experience in his own nightmare that probably would have gotten him screaming.

_Damn what her problem? I swear that she could have scream in my ears to have me awake._ He listened as she took deep ragged breaths and then heard her groan.

He could sense her glancing over her shoulder towards him and staring at his back as he pretend to sleep, letting himself stay still to fake the illusion and making soft sounds to keep it up.

When he felt her gaze from him, he quietly turn and saw Tea lifting up her shirt and exposing her back in the silvery moonlight.

He was stunned seeing those long jagged lines, cut and raggedly looking, some crisscrossed and other diagonal pattern and meshing together and marring her beautiful skin.

He couldn't tear himself from watching as her hands went and gingerly touched all those scars, she wince and her body tense as each scar seem to bring another flinch.

_Where did she get them from, from who? Why am I even wondering, this doesn't concern me, not one bit…_ Tea tense and seeing she was now alert of him watching and quickly turn before she notice.

He waited, keeping still and pretending to be asleep while seeing what was going on inside her mind. _'_**_When are these nightmares going to end?'_ **

_Figures something like this but what had she dreamed about exactly? Did it have to do with those scars?_ He continued to see within her mind the thoughts that cause her to react like this.

'**_How long must my dad torture me when he's not even here? Is he planning to haunt me for the rest of my life?' _**

He raised an eyebrow, questioning what she meant, _Her father, did he do something to her? Was he also the one who gave her those scars?_ For a moment he wondered why he should even know who did it or less care about it as it was nothing to him anyways.

Yet why did he obligate for this, he could tell what she went through, her pain and suffering from her father just as he had with his parents.

He shook these thoughts and could care less if he had been the last person on this planet and end it for himself gladly.

If he had, he would have been at the promising point where no more 'humanity' was a care for this godforsaken world.

No more emotion, no more annoying people to hate him or despite him. He would be without anyone and that what he seem was the hardest point at hand…

_That's the worst bull I've ever heard and that one takes the cake._

Her words from earlier echoed inside his head and when he heard muffled tears and then no more as she fell asleep. He waited a few more minutes and turn to see her close to the fire, the coat lying at her feet and shivering, curled tight in a ball.

_Stupid girl, she'll catch her death in the cold so why should I even care, she's just another no good human in this world…_

A human that saved his life by which he didn't deserve with what he did but still…

He sighed, it was giving himself too much of a migraine with all this thinking and never let him sleep not while his head was throbbing.

Legato stood up and walking over and saw those tears stain on her cheeks and a tiny puddle in the sand where they slide down.

The things he has to do, not knowing why he picked up the coat and tossing it over her. Watching as she stop shivering and then pulling it closer and wrapping around her body.

For a moment he just stared at her, up close her face lighten by the light of the fire and moon, she looked beautiful. Her skin giving a warm tone, the way the fire shimmered in her brown hair, giving it auburn highlight. Imagining if her eyes were open, those bright blue eyes that could make any man drop his gun with a single glance.

_Don't be ridiculous, you can't think she beautiful, you've seen Midvalley with other girls hotter, sexy and you didn't go drooling for them. _

Legato turn and headed to his own spot and went back laying on the hard ground and taking the chance to pass time with counting the stars before closing his eyes. He sense a slight stir and a faint thought coming from Tea.

'_Thank you._' And was surprised to feel this coming from her that he whispered in a grunt, 'Welcome' before falling back to sleep.


	5. Life in Gunsmoke: Expect the Unexpected

Chapter Five: Life in Gunsmoke

Tea woke up at the crack of dawn, night still among them but not for much long as the sun was coming up. Or should she say suns.

_What, two suns but that's impossible._ Rubbing her eyes rapidly and blinking surprised and amazed as she looked up over to the east and saw the most beautiful of all the sunrise in the world.

The first to ever come and see in forever of her cold darken years of despair.

_Wow…_ she thought in awe as she watched the rising glowing orbs coming, one from the right, the other from the left. Both rising slowly and crossing paths in all in its beautiful glory.

Red, violet, orange, lighting the sky as the two huge orbs climb over the sea of sand to reach the limitless sky above them.

_I never got to see such suns like these before_, she thought, _well never before in a strange new place but still for something like this to in a desert was…_

A desert, wait a minute how did she end up here? Soon her memories came rolling back in her head, replaying itself and she saw everything from when she had been walking to a deserted creepy ghost town to finding a half dead guy when falling from a sand storm.

_Yeah so here I am in a desert, sleeping out here with some guy I saved who doesn't say thank you instead tells me to buzz off. Boy what an ass!_

She laid her hands behind her head and closed her eyes and envisioned the man that was sleeping far away from her. She recalled what little conversation she had with him the night before and had only by strange chance to learned his name.

Strange how he didn't say it but through some other way…like as if he had linked it throughtoherthrough something that didn't exists in their language.

Channeled it through her mind.

But that seem preposterous in her case. But how could she explain then the weird communication.

Strangely enough, something about him made her feel that she had just put her life on a two-edge sword with him. She just hoped she was wrong. There were so many things she had yet to learn and to describe, this stranger. Legato…

Legato.

Legato Bluesummer.

Long dark blue hair falling over half his face like it was purposely done for many times, his bangs covering one of his eyes, giving him the allure of dark and dangerous edge around.

His eyes of golden-amber jewels that spark such intense flames that seem to engulf anyone who dare get hypnotized by wayward stare.

She was not certain if he was really going to be her friend or become her worst foe of yet. So much she was thinking of that led her to see some part of Legato that made her think to say the least.

A man full of mystery…guarding his own secrets from others, which he dare not share.

A man who seem cold as ice…holding barriers around him and staring at the world with eyes of hate and pain held within those gold depths.

_But what else was there? _She thought. _What secret did he hide, what pain does he hold?_

A man covered with a cold, emotionless mask, staring right through it with a pair of intensepredator eyes.

A body built to kill.

Long tan limbs, a board chest that bore many battle scars, which she had itched to touch those hard biceps that…

"Ack!" _What the Hell!_ She wanted to knock some sense in her head, hard, really hard to get the impure thoughts from drawing her closer to the image that was already coming to her imaging.

Imaging back to his face, where he had been unconscious through the time, his eyes closed, his dark lashes on his face, the shadows drawing all around him, building more characteristic on his already define features.

The way her fingers had traced down him as he slept in her lap.

Her face inching close to him, to nearly brush his lips with her….

_Ok that's enough! That's it, enough! Stop it!_

She pressed her hands over her ears, and groaned inside her head so loud that the imagine was starting to fade.

_Thank god_, she thought as she let go of her ears and looked upward to the sky.

God what was she thinking? Legato, whom she remember telling her one thing important. One thing that she knew which led her to believe was to not put too much trust and reliability on. She thought back to what she could now know, what she knew from when she learned his name.

**_Legato Bluesummers._ _And I meant what I said when I would kill anyone who asked for my name._ **

Oh yeah, he said that, she recalled the way he had said it or how he said it though, with an icy tone that chilled her to the point.  
He said he killed anybody who asked for his name, and maybe something more else to himself which she bet didn't happen a lot if the chance somebody already did and okay…not a very positive imaginary to image in her case.

But she still couldn't go pass that something else seem to be there under that cold interior of his, but what?

What?

Sitting in an upraised position, feeling the coat slide off herself the second time.

Second time? That was weird. When did she pick up her coat in the middle of the night? She didn't remember and she could have sworn she didn't either. She fingered the thick fabric that pooled in her lap and thought as much to when she had curled up and slept close to the fire.

Maybe she picked it up on instinct when she was feeling too cold. Or…. Someone must have put it over her. Could it have been…? She looked over at her sleeping comrade still but thought against it.

He doesn't seem he would get up in the middle of the night and place a coat over a person, but still she wondered before laying the jacket down and walking around the small camp to stretch her tense muscles.

God, sleeping in a desert made her whole body ache as if she slept on a hard slab of stone or something. She felt her back crack as she leaned it forward just to adjust it. Man, she wished they hurried to the next town soon. The sooner they got to one the better to be resting on a nice comfortable bed in a full civilization.

Even in her situation, she felt strangely safe with Legato even if the very enormous odds were that he might decide to abandoned her and leave her to her own death out here…

_Whatever, just don't be thinking like that, beside without your help he would be dead by now_, she thought as she went to go through one of the bags and find whatever she could to fix them some breakfast.

Making a few sandwiches would do to sate their hungers and she could make extras in case they didn't make it to the next city. Her ears pricked up at the sound of him stirring from sleep and went over to greet him, carrying two sandwiches in hand and canteen of water.

"Morning." She said, seeing him turn and stared directly at her. "Hungry? I made some sandwiches for breakfast. Here you can take these two, knowing that you didn't get to eat last night."

Neither did she but she wasn't the one who ended up with bullets in his body and lying half dead in a desert like he had been. Well either way, she wanted to have them both filled with enough strength to get going to wherever the next town was. He probably knew where it was, hopefully.

She held the sandwiches and the canteen out to him. He sat up, his coat falling from his body and took them gradually and then watched as she went to fix her own. She felt the intensity of his gaze grazing at her as if looking right into her soul.

Was he watching her because he wanted to or was he watching for the chance his prey's defense was down and then attack? God that's she didn't want to think about, in fact why did she think about it. She felt a slight shivered and hope he hadn't notice.  
She turn back to see Legato eating his meal before she started to relax her shoulders and then enjoy her own.

* * *

Tea had finished packing the stuff and was checking on Legato's wounds to see if every medical procedure was done correctly and that she hadn't left anything out for infection.  
Legato seem reluctant to letting her examine him but he didn't put up with much of a fight, he wouldn't care less or not, and let her have her way.  
Lying there as she checked from head to shoulder, she couldn't help but feel her cheeks turn a bit red. 

_Just get it done and over with!_ She thought as she opened the bandages and examined each wound. No loose stitches were out of place, or any brain damage that seem to occur or maybe thought the 'link' might be but pushed it aside as she saw all vital signs were normal and his confirmation prove that he was fine.  
His shoulder and leg were what surprised her when she saw that they were healed up and the dry blood was all that remain to prove that he had been shot and that it wasn't an illusion.  
It seem strange to her in this case that his wounds healing faster than she expected, in other words, but again felt that there was definitely more secrets to him than she would ever learn.

So far after that, he seem pretty much healed and ready to go. "All right, I'll just put these away and give you some privacy." She said taking the kit with her to the bags while he stood up and pulled his black shirt on then placing his coat, adjusting the skull and spikes.  
Tea didn't even turn when she already knew once he would stand up, in his gray slacks and standing before the very sun like a sun god.

_Oh boy…Oh no not these thoughts again. Bad, bad thoughts!_ But somehow she as she scolding her thinking, she thought she heard Legato give a chuckle, or at least a dry 'heh' in her direction. She turned and glared behind her at Legato's back before she decided to ignore it and went to place the kit back.

_

* * *

Why, why do I do these things to myself? _

Tea never realized how much stuff she would be carrying from when she walked with just her knapsack to when she got to town and got two more for the long walk she had to endure.

_Great just great_, she groaned as she tried to lift up all three bags, having two in each hand and one on her back. The one on her back was lighter due to it was only carrying her clothes and things while the others carrying what she had thought provide enough for maybe an army.

This was now a lot heavier than before. She knew trudging these things would be torture on her all over as they crossed this vast desert. Not that she couldn't rely on Legato for having been serious injured one night then the next healed by god who knows and have him do the carrying.

No she wouldn't dare ask for his help anyways, she would carry them and followed to wherever they reach their next destination was.  
She sighed calmly and started to walk just maybe two steps when she felt a gloved hand touched her shoulder and she turned back to see Legato standing over her. He was so tall, almost two feet over her. God he could play basketball if he wanted to from what height she saw him where she stood. His eyes were staring emotionless down on her.

"I'll take them, here." He said, grabbing the ones in her hands and throwing both of them over his right shoulder with the skull on it.

Tea stared at him for a moment, lost at words to speak as he started walking away from her. She was like this for a few seconds before she regain her senses again. "B-But you shouldn't, seriously I'm fine carrying it but you shouldn't after all you…"

He rolled his golden eyes. She thinks those mere bullet wounds in his body were going to slow him down, she had another thing to understand of Legato Bluesummer.

And so did Vash at the matter.

**_Vash…_** He gripped one glove hand tightly, feeling the intense anger once again at the blonde broomheaded bird-brain who left him at this sort of fate, this ill-conjugated life. If he even dare cross paths with him again, he would kill him.

Oh yes, slow and painfully. Vash the Stampede would pay dearly with his life.

**_

* * *

Vash…_**

Tea blinked confused. _Vash, where did that come from, and who's Vash?_ She looked over at Legato who had stopped in his steps and noted that one hand was curled tightly in a balled fist. "Um, Legato, are you sure you're alright?" She saw him turn around and saw him give her a very dirty look.

"Look let's get one thing straight. Just because you save me, doesn't mean I'm going to give you gratitude! But since you're so eager to return to your 'town', your 'humanity' I lead you to it." The way he said the word 'humanity', seem to spread poison in his mouth and he spat it out to the sand across from him. Disgusting…

"Right now you are just going to slow me down if you trek like that with all these bags weighting you down." He then turned away again and started walking. "I'm carrying them and you should at least feel grateful. Beside you look too weak and scrawny to be lifting such things that you aren't capable of carrying. You should learn to carry your own weight instead of what you can't." She stared at him before feeling the heated anger rise to her face. Scrawny, her!

_He called me weak and scrawny? Why I oughta…. _She shook her fist furiously at him but he pay no heed to her."Why that no good son-of-a**_-_**!"

_Bastard! _She thought, feeling the need to shout out a string of curse words at him, just like Joey Wheeler or Tristan Taylor would have done if they had been in her shoes. Mai would have possibly told her to give him a good kick right where it hurts! Yeah that would show him! Right in the_**-**_

The next thing she would expect was for him to stop and his head turned sideways, looking straight at her.

"I heard that. And I don't think you would even dare try to do it even if you had wanted to. You might not feel up to the challenge if you were under me…" He said and kept walking as he headed in the direction to where the next town was north of them.  
She stared confused and shocked, her face turning redder at his words then shaking from the, as she started walking to catch up with him. "Hey wait up Legato." He continued walking and ignored her. "Hey wait up you Jerk!"

The next town, the closest one Legato knew by far was called Lewiston Town.

* * *

A.N.: If I'm wrong on the location, help me out and I'll rewrite this chapter or continue whichever happens. I'm not good with mapping, trust me, I may get some locations wrong when I write, so if you want me to not make mistake, help me out.

* * *

It had taken them about two-three hours to reach the city by around noon and their shadows lengthen in the sand. Tea saw that this city had been farther than the last one in her case but at least it had people. _Good enough for me._

She and Legato walked in through the gate and Tea couldn't help but stare around as they past the Town Square and markets.

Everything looks like it from Old West with the building and some part of the customs but everybody looks so modern and dress like a back in her era.  
The past crossing the future or at least she thought she was in the future. She doubt that the past had this much gadgets and electronics from what she saw as she past open market merchandises that she and Legato walked by.

_What's up with that?_ Tea was looking about, seeing the many wonders about this place and turned to look over at Legato to see if he had any answer that she wanted to ask but he was too busy staring ahead at something else, ignoring her as they walked along side by side. She sighed and continue to followed him wherever he was going.

He knew this town better, best to stay close to him. The logic seem good in her head but she didn't expect to where Legato was heading to.

They soon reached a part of town where a saloon was open and Legato stepped in through the Western swinging doors. Some of the people in the room looked up, seeing just the two of them, some went back to their cards and drinks. She saw many men in the room turn and stared at her, some leering and licking their lips in an unfriendly matter.

_Okay, going to this bar was not the best place to go_, she turned and follow after Legato where he took a seat at the bar, putting the bags on the ground and she took a seat next to him. She sat still, fidgeting nervously under those watching stares. She looked over at Legato sitting by, fingers drumming on the stand and staring at the menu in one hand. He turned and saw her staring.

"Something the matter or do you just like staring at my face?" He asked, ice and annoyance was in his voice and seeming not too pleased to be watched like some display by some people. She barely turned away to look at her hands in her lap but shook her head slowly.

"Ah um, no nothing's wrong, it's just I mean well..." She said, trying to find how to ask all these questions but she couldn't find the words to put them, "…Nevermind." She picked up one of the menus and looked at it. Legato waited a few seconds before he turned back to his. Tea felt that the words in the menu blur as she thought of what was happening. She still couldn't help but think that from what she seen outside and around the place, like she was in some country western-future era or some sci-fi world.

_Everything looks so ancient but also new in ways I can't describe. To me it's like I'm in an old Wild Western movie mixed with some future ordeal. _She sighed, as she looked over at her comrade once again unaware of being asked by somebody.

"Excuse me Miss, but what will you be drinking?"

"Huh?" She blinked and turn around and saw the bartender standing in front of her, glass in hand polishing, asking her what to drink.

"Isn't the line 'what your poison?' suppose to be asked around here?" She asked. The barkeep now looked confused as well did Legato, though his face didn't show it, as he turned to stare at her as if she had just lost her marble. Maybe she did.

_Well might as well ordered something._

"Um sorry, the heat of the suns got to my head." She said softly, and then in a quiet whisper, "what do you have to drink exactly?" The bartender told her and she decided to go for a glass of ice cold water since all the other drinks sounded too strange, peculiar and too much from what she was use to hearing back home in Domino.

The bartender left them and Tea just sighed.

Domino, how was she ever going to get back home? Was there even another way to get back there? She sighed again and turned in her chair to look around.

Just like a Western saloon all right, five men in one corner of the room were laughing gaily while drinking ice cold fronts of beer, another had a card game going on and then there was one right pretty close to where she and Legato were, yelling, upturning tables then drawing their guns and shooting—

SHOOTING! She saw ten men draw out their guns but these weren't ordinary guns, they were submachine ones, Uzi, you name it. The ones she like seen from the gangsters movies or something.

_OH SHIT!_ She thought as she saw this coming and tried to duck under the booth beneath, her hands over her head as she heard the gunshots and saw bullets flying everywhere in the place. Some people ducked under too and others stood still in fear they would be shot if moved. She looked up from under the bar stool and started tugging on Legato's pant leg to get down with her before he get shot.

_I'm not busting myself to doing 'surgery' again if he gets shot._ She doubt she would be even able to if after this gunfire was over.

"Legato, get down here! Legato, come on you'll get shot and I'll be damn if I have to help stitch you up since you healed so nicely now! Legato!" Soon she heard one loud gunshot and after the smokes from the guns have cleared, she looked to see all ten men that had started the riot fall dead to the floor. Shot in the head at the same time.

What in the world! All ten men shot exactly in the head by the other. But that's impossible, that's not even so unless they all did it at the same time and I'm sure they weren't willing to…

She heard Legato pushed back his seat and stood up. He went under the table, his face stern and tired looking as he stared at her.

"You going to sit under there all day or are you going to come up and order something?"

"Huh? What?" She looked surprised; didn't he just see what she just saw now? Wasn't he as surprised and confused as everybody else here? She looked more closely at him and saw only tense, calm and bored, no other tell-tale sign on there. She stood up shaking badly and sat down on her stool. Legato took a long sip of his drink and turned to her as she drank the whole thing down in one gulp. "If I didn't know any better I say you never seen a gunfire break out in your life."

No duh there! She thought beyond the point freaked on his cool demeanor. "But tho-those men, the-they were shooting each other like that! They shot each other in the head, all at once. Didn't you find that strange at all!" She said her voice rose to a level which she saw that Legato looked at her and said calmly.

"What did you least expect in Gunsmoke, this is our life. Our life in Gunsmoke…Always expect the unexpected."


	6. Dreaming to believe or Nightmares to Fal...

Chapter Six: Dreaming to believe or Nightmares to Fall Under

Tea walked out of the bar, her face was pale and her body shaking as she leaned against the wooden beam for support as she saw the world swimming right in front of her eyes. Oh man, oh my lord, what just happened? Has everything gone crazy! She had been freaked out from what just happened not too long ago in that saloon. Wouldn't you have too if you were so close to gunshots and saw ten men shooting themselves dead on in front of your eyes?

"Shit, that was scary, Hell it was a freakin' slaughter in there!" She said as she walked to steady herself after that whole commotion and headed her way through the town. At least to get as far away from this saloon and try to start her search of a fair decent enough hotel to check in.

With no leering men, the place not stinking of smoke and alcohol and other things unmentionable and the walls not plagued with bullet holes or the floors stained in blood. She had wanted some idea and had decided to go and asked Legato if he knew any places possible to stay. She remembered how that conversation went.

* * *

_"Whatever is fine…" He said as he went back to eating his meal. She scowled as his back was turn to her. Well that was certainly descriptive to telling her where._

_"B-But what if you need to know what hotel we're in, I mean you just going to be lost or something, should I come back here and…"_

_He turned slowly to meet her stare and just gave her a cold emotionless stare that made clear to be silent and her words choke inside the back of her throat._

_"I'll know…. just go down town from here, turn left down one way then keep heading straight. You'll find there's an inn that should be to your satisfaction. All right, now this conversation's over."  
And turned his back again, detaching himself and ignoring her and the world around that moved within their surrounding._

* * *

Always expect the unexpected he said, so far she felt that having to expect this anymore from what was happening to her while being here was going to give her an easier heart attack than she'd imagined. 

_But its like he's the only one who seems more in tune with that logic._ She thought thinking of how he didn't seem surprised, freaked out or nearly flinching at all like everybody else back in the parlor when the shooting began.

She didn't know what was more startling or confusing in her mind, Legato being so cool and calm when it all happened or when he didn't seem to give any idea or thought as to the mysterious death of all ten shooters.

All of them, shooting themselves, point blank in the head, blowing away half their faces off and their brain cells leaking out on the dirty wooden floor…

'_Ok that's enough Tea! Please you can stop now before you decide to hurl your lunch to the ground!_' Her inner conscious said and Tea agreed with it. She shuddered and wish to never think about that ever again.

Too much was happening and it all seem to go around her like a never ending whirlpool, too tired but still unable to give up trying to swim out of it never-ending deathtrap.

She sighed to herself when she found the inn Legato had directed and went inside. She walked over to the front desk and signed her name and Legato's in the register book than rang the bell to grab the innkeeper's attention. The woman at the front looked up and saw the name signed then grabbed a set of keys and handed them to her.  
"Second floor to the left, room 215." Tea nodded and was about to leave before she decided to tell the woman to know that she was with a guy, describing him. "I just don't want you to think that I'm letting some stranger to your inn, after all how many inns would have?"

The woman chuckled lightly. "Oh don't worry miss, this is the onlyinn in these parts. Some cities have them more. Why, are you new to this area then hun?" So that's how Legato knew which places to come, figures but she wouldn't mind just giving warning to the lady so Legato wouldn't go scare them or anything.

"Yeah I'm new and I mean haven't been in a town like this before. So all right, thanks." Tea headed up those stairs to the second floor and down the hall towards the room number and opened it.

Inside the small room, there was a set of two beds on either side with a small table in-between and a desk to the right side and another door on the left, leading to the bathroom. It looked nice and Western-styled like everything else.

"Finally a bed…" Tea dropped her bag on the left side next to the bed table and plopped down face first as she laid herself out on the bed. She turned around her back under and looked up towards the ceiling.

_So much is happening and I still feel like I out of place, so out from where I been. _Ironic that she wanted to go to some place different and here she was and already missing Domino, the home she tried to run away from.

She sighed and closed her eyes one moment and imagined seeing a pair of cool blue eyes staring at her, watching her with a soft twinkle from above her in this very room beyond.  
_Seto…_She opened them slowly, blinking as she found two yellow-green eyes staring at her, lying on her stomach. "MEOW!"

"Yikes!" She jumped surprised, sitting up on the bed and watched as the black cat jumped off and moved around on her, meowing and purring as it rubbed against her legs.

_Where did this cat come from?_ She looked about the room and saw that the window next to the right bed was open. So that's how it got in.

"Hey little guy, what are you doing in here?" She said as she picked the cat up gently in her arms and started to pet it. She listened as the purring doubled in volume as she scratched behind its velvety ears.

Well at least she had some company now as she waited for Legato. She held the cat in the crook of one arm while she picked up her knapsack and laid it out on the blanket. She took her clothes out first to bring the other stuff that were under in the bag below. She then places the clothes back in the bag but kept the tinkets out in front of her. She started scattered the items around, spreading them about to find what she was searching for.

Where was it? She picked up her sunglasses, bottle of water…no, hey I had water, what the hell! But it wouldn't have help her survive with the little amount of water it had.

Her bag of toiletry along with her cosmetics, no not those.

Her cellphone, nope she wasn't sure if it would work after the hell she had been going through, she wondered if she should try calling long distance. Haha, not very funny.

Her CD player and CDs, nope but maybe later to listen to music she also had extra batteries too.

Her deck of cards, she didn't know why she carried those still but they still give her happy memories of the good times also with Seto deck in there as a part of them together. She also found a case of a dueler disk and another with similar parts as a gauntlet and gadgets that she and her husband been working on before. Why she brought it, she had no clue…

"Where is it, I could have swore it was here with everything else**_-_** Ah here it is! I knew I had it with me." She pulled out a book, her diary from the cluster and opened it up to a page where a photograph of her and Seto were, placed as a bookmark in her keepsake. The picture was taken at Domino Park, eight months before the accident.

_That seem so long ago_, she thought as she stared at the picture. They were smiling together, their arms wrapped around each other's waist, her head lying on his chest while his head rest on her top of her head. It seem so perfect like that, being in his arms and feeling his heartbeat in her ears, making her feel so alive.

She smiled but it was a sad smile she wore. This photo was an illusive part of her past that was forever taken out of her life and set in photo-like stillness and unstopping ends. No more warm smiles, no secure embrace, no more feeling the part of her that still ached.

She would give all the money, the earthly possessions she had, even her life to just see her friends and husband again.

_Just to relive the good days again, just to kiss Seto once more, just to gain what had been lost to her that day..._

Tea felt sleepy as her eyes started to droop and she gave a small yawn as she released the cat as she felt it scratching her arms and lay down on the pillow. Again she closed her eyes and thought back of her life, her friends, her love.

_I miss them so much…_she closed her eyes and fell asleep and dreamed of a part of her lost in the wake of the living.

* * *

Tea woke up later to find the room had darker as day slipped away outside on the world and still clear for no stars to shine out yet. She also noticed that the room was still empty when she had first came in. Legato didn't seem to come by. But who cared, at least she had a good nap, she yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. 

_What time was it?_ She came to the room at 2 something, close to three she believed. She looked at the small clock on the table and saw it read 8:34 p.m.

_Five hours! Man I must've been really tired to sleep that long._ She got up groggily, stretching her back as she started walking towards the bathroom to go and use the toilet.

'_And maybe take a shower for that matter_.'

She grabbed the toiletry and made her way over to the small room looking blindly in the dark and finding the switch turned on the light. She saw that there was only a shower and felt really badly in need of one after relieving her, flushing the toilet down.

_Why not, being in a hot sweaty desert doesn't leave you smelling like a bouquet of fresh roses._

She stripped off her clothes, they were so sweaty, covered in sand and sticky that stuck to her body like second skin in which she felt relief to get out of. She went over to the stall and turned the water on cold, ice cold would be a relief to refresh herself from this hot scorching desert.

She step in and felt the first drops hitting her on the chest and trailing down to her stomach, down to her legs and inner thighs. This is so nice, she let it drench her entire body, the water so chilling it raised goosebumps on her arms, legs, breasts, her thighs, everywhere.  
She turned and felt her back tensed and making her shiver feeling them fall on the scars but that matter little to her, she wanted this.

She wanted to be release of the tension that ached inside her body, to relax the stressed muscles, she wanted….

The light started to flicked and when the light turn off then back on, she started to rinse after soaping herself down with the soap and her contents of shampoo and conditioner. She scrubbed hard to rid herself of the grainy substance that had stuck to her skin and scalp. She felt cleanse after rinsing the grime and felt only the cold moist dewdrops touching her naked body.

_Well I better get out now_, before Legato shows up to probably decide on taking a shower in here. She was reaching out to turn off the faucet when she felt something touch her back, crawling diligently up her spine. Something didn't seem right?

She didn't feel alone in here. Was Legato already back and coming in here?

"Legato?" She called, "Is that you?" She heard no answer but again she felt something when she was reaching to turn the water off. This time her eyes widen as she saw long slim hands crawl down her arm and holding her hand from turning the facet.

"I don't think so, not just yet…" She gasped as warm strong arms snaked around her waist.

_What the!_ But she was stopped when she felt light butterfly kisses being pressed against her neck. The exact place where she loved being kissed. Only one knew where that was. But that's impossible. But somehow she was wishing it was.

"You don't want to leave yet, you're still…" The voice in her head entranced her, making her moan softly and pressed back into the person behind. A warm masculine scent came to her and arose that made her recognize the smell. Cologne that she had always like, saying that it reminded her of him.

It was… She turned her head sideways to be staring into a pair of unforgettable blue eyes that she thought never to see again.

"Unclean." Seto Kaiba said as he looked down at her, his voice soft and his face glowing.

"Se-Seto. Is it really you?" She whispered, her voice hoarse with disbelief.

She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She reached out a hand to touch his face and felt it not go through him as she had feared but standing there was Seto, her hand touching his cheek, warm and smooth with light peach fuzz.

Seto was here, real and alive, right in the shower with her.

"Hey Tea, it's been awhile hasn't it."

_You don't know the half of it!_ A full year seem like an eternity on her own self time but now that he was here, she felt all that slip away and stand still for the two of them. Tea felt rejoice bliss flutter inside and blink back tears that had started to trail down.

"Oh Seto, I miss you. I missed you so much!" She cried as she turn around in his embrace, something that she had missed and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing her closer and feeling his warmth wrap around hers, engulfing her with just him touching her.

He looked sadly down her as he rubbed her back affectionately and said in a soothing tone, "I know baby I know. I missed you too Tea. I wish things had been different. I wish things had been better…for you. You didn't deserve what happened."

"You didn't deserve it either!" She cried, staring him in the eyes. "You didn't deserve to be killed. You didn't deserve that damn driver to drive right into you! It was stupid and meaningless the way you had to die. It wasn't fair to you and it wasn't to me. I didn't want to lose you, your brother, our friends…what we could have had…I swear I didn't want to lose it…I mean I didn't want to lose…Oh I'm so sorry!" Her words became lost as she buried her face into his chest, crying heavily.

She cried, her tears mingling in the water and falling right on his dark T-shirt. He patted her back and said calmly, "I know it's not fair, I know it's not fair on your behalf. But Tea I'm here right now. I'm here for you don't forget that. I'm always here for you." She sniffled as he cupped her chin then wiped away her tears. Tea used the back of her hand to clear one eye before she noticed something different that made her feel less sad. "Seto, you're wearing clothes."

He raised an arched eyebrow. "Is that bad?"

"You're in the shower! You're going to get yourself entirely soaked if you don't take them off." She soon realized how those words seem to foreplay in her mind of what she had suggested and felt her body become warm and thrilled at the idea as he heard the interesting offer. He smirked at her with his ever so famous smirk and lean down to whispering in her ear, his voice turning husky and savage as always to turn her on.

"Care to undress me then." He said in the suggestively sexy voice that made her feel like she would melt under, his tongue enter the shell of her ear and tickling her. She giggled and then sighed. This was her Seto all right. It feels so good to be back in this embrace…

She felt one arm still wrapped around her while the other reaching up to touched her breast and rubbed her nipples one at a time, turning them pebble stone between his thumb and forefinger. She leaned her head back and moaned in his grasp. She felt like this was heaven, a sweet bliss to relive in their touching reunion.

_God yes_, she needed this. She wanted him to take her just like before. She was desperate in need of him.

She grabbed the lapel of his jacket and pulled him in a very demanding kiss, a kiss begging for entrance which he gave freely. Their tongues battled against one another before she gave in and surrender, he the victor as she allowed him to claim his prize. He all but raped her mouth as he tend to tango in and out and let her sound off a seductive sigh in content. She lowered his jacket and tossed it out while he help in pulling his shirt off. When she took that off, she took her time staring at his chest, raking her nails down to feel the smoothness of his chiseled body, letting her fingers circle around his nipples.

She listened to him moaned as she kissed his lips then lowered down to his neck to his collarbone while tugging at his belt to come loose. He helped her and then the gray pants were drop down on the floor and he stepped out of them towards her. Luckily he wore no boxers and she got a full clear view below.

"Well I guess we both taking a shower then…" He smiled a mischief smile. "Want me to help you get clean up?"

"But Seto I already showered…where else could I have possibly missed…" But he place one finger on her lips and bent over to whisper in her ear.

'Not everywhere, you missed one spot. Here let me show you." And she gasped as she felt one of his fingers go down from her stomach, rubbing lightly and heading towards her opening.

"Here is where you missed." And his finger went in and started to move inside her. Tea moaned and closed her eyes as she felt one of his fingers coming in and wanting more. Another finger joined the process and they started scissoring in and out then back in, causing her to breathing faster and nearly crying out for release.

_Oh god_, she thought as her heart fluttering wildly, Seto pulled the fingers out and bend down to place his face close to her warm clit, he licked her folds making her body tremble. His tongue was slipping in and twisting inside her, lapping up the juice that was coming so fast.

Tea couldn't think, couldn't feel anything except the immense pleasure and her body feeling so close, so close…. She felt her breath fly rapidly as she rammed her fingers, ensnaring them in his hair, locking themselves in his silky tresses. She closed her eyes shut, her mind in heaven. Her whole body gave one last shudder before she felt it entirely spent inside his mouth. His opened waiting mouth.

_God_, her eyes were fluttering opened as the water continued to hit down on her scorching body and looked down to stare at her husband. But as the water started to fall on him, she realized that something seem off. She looked to the ground and saw the water changing.

Turning brown like mud.

"Seto…"

She pulled her hands away and watched as his chestnut brown hair was changing, washing away as if it were some sort of dye and a dark blue was being reveal through the roots, the brown murk that trailed from his head, dripped away and disappear down the drain. She stepped back and stare down in shock as the man with blue hair raised his head to look up. She noticed that his eyes were amber, not blue.

No, they were killer eyes.

"Seto?" No this wasn't Seto as she backed away further, hitting the back of the stall and exited the shower to head for the door. The door was locked and she turned to watch as he stood to his full height, getting out of the shower towards her. His body changed too, he was bigger, broader and more muscular than Seto who had been slim and pretty trimmed.

But how, how could she have not noticed this? How could she have not seen the illusion until now? Her hands were frantically trying to twist the knob but her hands became too slick with the water and sweat that was coming.

She watched in horror as his face, Seto's face disappeared in the other man's presence and no trace was left of him on there.

Her Seto was gone and there Legato stood right in front of her.

_What was going on, what was happening?_ He stared coldly at her across the room, his face stoic and hard as he grabbed her by the ends of her hair and pulled her forcible away from the door, making her slip and fall against the cold tile.  
Her head banged against the toliet and could feel it throbbing in loud outcries of pain and seeing barely before recovering her sight as she turned around. Wishing she didn't as she was staring face to face with a man whose face was nearly inches away from hers.

"This is what you want, wasn't it." He breathe harshly, his breath hitting her face as he grabbed both her hands and held then them above her head with just one hand. She tried to break free from his vise grip.

_Damn he's strong._ She wiggled around until Legato held her body down with his. She twisted and turned, kicking and thrashing her legs underneath him but held them down with his own heavy body. If he fell on her she would be choke to death. Legato stared down at her with his emotionless stare. He smirked with a sinster smile as he leaned over and said in her ear.

"You wanted it so bad that you're unclean all over. Unclean inside all the way." He whispered the last line before biting deep inside the small part of her earlobe. She screamed inside her mind, the pain and fear she was feeling as the word ran through her mind.

_Unclean, unclean…was she unclean?_ She tried to keep from screaming out loud by biting on her lips but she couldn't as the pain gave in and she let loose one cry before Legato decided to silence her by pressing his lips against her. She could taste her blood in his mouth and thought how disgusting it tasted.  
Her blood tasted like vile and bitterness, she desperately wanted to spat it out before it choked her with its awful flavoring.

She heard cold laughter ringing in her head as the old ghost of her past came to her, deciding to mock her pain.

_Ha look at you! Taste yourself. Don't you taste it? You're poison, you hear that, you're the exact poison that killed your mother, your friends and husband. You're the loathsome being that trend this world with its evil._

_No I'm not! I'm not! _Tea could feel Legato's one hand reaching out and touching all over her body, giving hard squeezes on her breast that made her fill with pain.

_Yes you are_, her father's voice whispered in her ear. _You are unclean little brat, look at yourself, you're unclean and you know it and everyone you have ever love, died because of you; you are a murderer and now you've become a whore!_ Then sinister laughter rang inside her ears as she heard herself screaming, breaking away from Legato's lips. "No I'm not a murderer. I'm not a whore! No!"

_Tea…Tea…_

"Seto? Is that you? Help me! Help me Seto!" But his voice was gone as she was left in the grasp of Legato as he held her up to stare deep into his eyes.

Eyes that looked hungry. Eyes that looked ready to kill.

"You ready?" He said, not asking but demanded. She shook her head wildly, her hair falling into her face and some strands sticking to the tears that she had already cried when she screamed.

"God no, don't!" But it was too late as she could feel the hardness opened her entrance and hit inside, tearing her to pieces. She heard herself scream again and again as the pain continue to come as he thrust inside, each with more impact then the last. No one could hear her screaming and she knew that she really was without help as the only people who would have come to her rescue were already long gone and she was alone. She was helpless in this act, being violated as the tears burned her eyes and her throat cried out more hoarsely. "Stop!" Suddenly her world became dark and only her screaming could be heard from her mind.

"STOPPPPPP!"

* * *

Tea woke up with her eyes wide open as she sat upright on the bed. Her entire body was shaking and covered in a thin line of sweat from the aftershock of the dream. She gasped then swallowed shallowly and placed a hand over her hammering heart. She looked around the room. It was dark, yes and there was nobody else here. 

_Just like in the dream…_She thought then thought otherwise. _It was a dream, wasn't it?_ She decided to see for herself by pinching her arm and feeling the barely noticeable pain, she saw that she was indeed awake and not asleep.

"It-it was a dream…just a horrible fucking nightmare." She lay back on the pillow, breathing tiredly but with relief as none of it had really happen.

_But it seem so real, I could almost taste Seto… Legato… my own blood._

She noticed that she could still taste it as she placed her fingertips to her lips and drew back seeing red. She had bitten herself as she sleep.  
She wiped them clean on the blanket and then ran her hands through her sweaty bangs and down, then pulled it back to the front of her face, expecting to see blood there too but there was none.

She found it hard not to stare down at her legs as if they weren't lying on the bed and that she wasn't really here at all and still in the shower.

The shower…suddenly she didn't feel like having one as of yet. But the dream of it still burn in her mind, she needed to distract herself with something. And the idea of a cool shower would help maybe.

_Déjà vu._ But one thing differenced in her mind, Seto had been there and that meant she had not to fear as ghost can't come to real life. But they could in dreams. In her nightmares.

"Just take a quick five minute shower. Nothing more, nothing less." She said as she grab for the toiletry and made her way to the bathroom and unturned the knob and step in. She looked inside expecting a ghost to appear or Legato. She sighed in relief when she saw neither. Both of them would seem only to make the dream seem more real. The only thing she could ask herself as she turn the water on ice cold was what was she living in?

A fantasy dream or unbelievable nightmare? She had no answer to that question as she allowed the cold water to drain away all her anxiety and leave her numb.


	7. What is this strange emotion and fair su...

Chapter Seven: What is this strange emotion and fair surprises

Legato sat at the bar, distinctly bored and utterly feeling restless as the commotion of the bar wavered then became once more filled with annoying sound and gruff-filled manner. The energy he had used to kill those people had been a small percent but the rest of it was itching to be release.

_**Yes…kill…kill them all…kill them where they stand…**_

But right now, his head was throbbing with too much pain for him to concentrate on doing such a deed he would have liked enjoying at the moment.

"Damn." He muttered as his head felt ready to burst at any given second. The pain was a unbearable reminder that even if he had healed his body of the wounds, his mind would still need time to recover from the aftershock of being almost killed.

A few weeks it might take but let him be damn if he had to stay in here and be pissed beyond annoyed at all this arrogant nuisance, shooting their guns like they were toys in this very Hellhole.

He stared around him, brooding as people were coming in and crowding the place as night settled the town and the many who came for drinks and lays.

_Hmph, no surprised on how easily the uncomplexity consideration of their own wayward nature was an unmistakingly breeze for them to breed, either in love or lust, the foul beings that plagued this planet._

He watched a couple drunks hitting on young gals who wore skimpy outfits, allowing their skirt to be hinge too high, their tops down low or the women were allowed to sit in the laps of their fellow 'customers'.  
He saw out of the corner of his eyes one girl at a table with about five men, all drunk, the liquor heavy on each their breath and the girl was the drunkest of them all. He saw the telltale signs on her too flushed cheeks and over glazed eyes as she laughed and lowered her top, pretending it was bunching up when he saw that it had been smooth down already as she pulled farther down to show off the top half of her breast to them.

One of the men stuck something between the girl's cleavages and Legato saw her pluck out a double dollar 500 while winking at the man than taking his hand to some room upstairs.

Legato rolled his eyes at this revolting display of courtship that was happening within the midst of this place, no this world to speak. To be part of their everyday world of what lied in shadows, waiting in the dark for these people to doom their own kind without them knowing. Through their false belief of humanity.

Humanity…

He shuddered and his stomach churned at the thought and made him feel that the ill bile would come at any second if he allowed it to be spewed across the already dirty floor. Not that he would mind showing how much his revulsion of their undignified lives repulse him but he swallowed it down with another sipped of his drink to rid the awful taste.  
He stared down coldly in the polished counter of the bar, his gaze seeming which to almost burn through the wood if he tried hard enough if he wanted. All his loathsome and hate-filled angry was to them, the race of the 'species'. Humans…

Humans and their worthless nature, such pathetic creatures. Not that he counted himself as one, he'd never lower himself at their status, but still to be born through one of them from the womb of their race made him hate himself and the humans more.

He wondered how humanity could even live up in it's name with such loathsome habitants mucking it's way.

Wasteful carcasses. Always begging to be shot at or least killed at any given moment. Always having second thoughts or by begging for mercy when they feel death upon them when they already asked for it.

Yeah, he had seen that look in their eyes when he stood over them ready for the deathblow upon their heads. The quick fright, the intoxication of their fear quickly becoming his power, his hate towards them used against their own selves.

Oh the many he killed, symbolized in the aftermath were death to this world as they were to themselves. The list of death was limitless and there was still more around to be taken care of.

"Disgusting…how high and mighty this race thinks that soon shall fall before their very own eyes." He said to himself, taking a long sip and feeling the ice clink to his teeth when he finished the whole glass.

Humanity would sooner or later pay for their ways. Pay for everything with the one price above anything else that nothing could even be stood against: their own life. Just as his master promised to him when he told Legato this the first time they met and how they had the same view on these people and their destructive race.

Master…Legato couldn't help but think of his master right now and this brought another bad settling in his stomach. This was also a problem he didn't want to deal with at the moment.

What would his master be doing or thinking if he knew of Legato still being alive and thanks to the aid of a girl, a human one no doubt!

_He would never forgive me as well as well as I would never forgive myself. I rather have Vash shot me clearly instead of leaving me to think dead._  
He brought another string of curses to the dunderhead oaf as he tried to think what he was going to do now in this new situation. But right now, his head needed something to kill it's own pain.

"Another." He said, the bartender took the glass and went to refill his drink. The thundering headache was starting to fade as he drowned them through the bittersweet juices he drunk. Then one man, who had been sitting in the saloon from this afternoon who had been watching Legato, came over and sat next to him on an empty stool.

Legato could smell the stink of alcohol on this man's breath and tried his best to ignore him, let alone breath the same air he was having to exhale the already fumes of powder gun smoke around and the blood that caked the floor and along its cracks. The man looked at him with glassy eye before saying what had been on his mind.

"Pretty thing ain't she? The one who came in with you this afternoon?"

Legato didn't say a thing less he wanted to glare at him and tell this man off or deciding to kill him in which case sound more appealing in his mind.

Yeah I think that would be much considering beside the dull ache was fading and he didn't feel much into a relapse. Before he had the chance, the bartender came back with his drink refilled and took small sip from it. The drunk ordered a drink too and turned his attention back on Legato. He wanted to keep his mind from hearing this man talk to him as if he were a fellow companion.

_Yeah right and I'm really a vengeful ghost back from the grave beyond, bent on looking for Vash to haunt him to the ends of the world until he's six feet under._

The ghost part he knew that was so not him but wanted to hunt Vash down and cause the bastard to suffer for not killing him seem like a fairly good idea. Revenge would be sweet if he knew where to find Vash and what his plan to make him suffer compress from. But this annoying person sitting right beside him was interrupting right now his thoughts and his meal.

_Best to ignore this_, he thought to himself, best to ignore the rambling of an addle drunk who can pester another person if he wanted but not him.

Oh no, not him.

The man continued to rattle on as if Legato was paying any interest in what he had to say. He patted his knee, "Sure got a fine pair of knockers she has there going, doesn't she? Yep, that they are. What about her pussy? Is that good too, good and sweet? Bet it is…" He laughed dryly, eyeing at Legato. "Wouldn't mind taking a knock up with that gal? Know what I mean?"

Legato wanted this man to shut up now before he does the drastic by doing what he did with those others before, whether or not to take another bullet in his head with headaches.

_Those imbeciles had been getting on my nerves now this ass is yakking his mouth about that girl. _

But at the mention of Tea's luscious succulent breast, he couldn't help but suddenly imaging them inside his mind. He close his eyes and recalled back in the desert, how close she was standing over him checking to see if he was all right after he was dehydrated and when she pressed the wet cloth to his chest. The top of her dress was revealing half her cleavage of her ample breast to him. So soft looking and alluring, wanting to be…

He shook his head from the thought. God, what the fuck!

What was happening to him. He didn't want to be thinking of that but as he listened to the goddamn son-of-a-bitch talk, he still couldn't rid the images that were appearing in his head.

From the breast up to her soft delicate face, her soft red moist lips part slowly in his eyes, begging to be…. ERAH! Shut up you bastard, shut the fuck up and keep it shut! His knuckles were barely shaking as he was starting to feel intensely piss but he kept his poker face as the bastard talk.

"Wanna bet she'll be screaming my name if I had her under me, her pretty little legs in the air, her voice screaming and—" But before he could say what else he wanted to say. Legato decided enough was enough. Painful headaches or endless talk, he rather endure another mind-blow headache than another word from this goddamn son of a drunk's talking for another minute.

"What the! What the Hell's going on!" The man's hand went rigid, pulling forward, heading straight to his chest and digging deep through the flesh and right through the ribcage.

"Auggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh!" The man screamed and he felled to the floor dead. Legato paid his bill and left the bar quickly before anyone took the time to figure what just happen. It would seem people would never learn when to keep their mouths silent. Well Legato had his way.

* * *

Legato was walking down the almost solitary street, his hands in his pockets, his head throbbing badly as 'gee you had to go and overdo it and give another head kill to the brain!' down, lost in his own thoughts. 

"Damn son-of-a-bitch! Had to make me do that and wouldn't keep his goddamn lip shut." He cursed under his breathe as he rubbed his temple with the arm from Vash himself while growling low in his throat. Some people turned to stared at him only to look away when his golden glare fell on them.

_Best stay out of my way or else!_ Those eyes said and people obeyed.

Legato scowled as he walked prior to where he was going as he tried to ease his troubled mind.

He hoped that bastard rots in hell with all the other victims of Legato's fury. All that damn talking was really getting to him now as it crept in like an unknown virus inside his mind and entwine with his anger.

Pain and pleasure, two complete different opposites of feeling yet held some sort of compassionate tune within their indifferences though. Pain brought him pleasure as pleasure could only be achieved after pain when making…No!

No what the Hell's name. Had he been really close to thinking of the one thing he wish never to desire?

The thing that all creatures that said between two people emotionally crave for when in turn the masked scent of both feelings is overwhelming. He doubt that, he couldn't.

Than what was this strange emotion stirring inside him now? He felt out of place with himself as these weird kindled fire burned within his stomach. How could this happen, how?

He recalled how this new feeling had begun. It happened back in the bar when the drunk sat next to him and talked about Tea, her body and how she would be like sleeping next to a drunkard, moaning his name and…

Disturbing, he didn't want to imagine her doing that. No one would dare do something to her while he was here!

Wait, what was he caring if she slept with any man in this town or not? For all he knew he could care less whether she decided to up and leave with one or two men and have a couple boy toys in bed.

But why did he feel sickened at the idea of them, men touching her body, caressing it, making her plea in sweet tone to ask for more…

God, this was turning into one Hell of a life for him. It was really bad enough that he had been nearly killed then rescue by a woman and now finding he was finding himself picturing that girl. His mind was a whirlwind as images kept popping out of control, all because of her, Tea and that body she had.

He should seriously think about killing her.

Yeah, kill her; get it over and done with.

He could easily do that. Make her grab her own throat and choke herself, slowing and painfully or have her take a knife and jam it in her heart. Better to see the look in her eyes, wide in fear, fear that which he would consume and savored and listen to her screaming—

Screaming and moaning his name, his name only, begging for only the mercy that he would deny her as he held her down. Her clothes would be torn off in seconds and lying in the remains of them along with his beneath the two with nothing to hide. Her tempting fiery body would not be hidden any longer from his hungry stare and he would take his time ravaging it.  
Her breast hitching up and down as if waiting for him to take them within his mouth, her legs parted wide to allowing him to come and take her secluded paradise,stealingher very innocence.

He would hold her down with his ownbody as he became ready to take her. He would make her squirm under him before he took the liberty to having her body bang right up to his as he plunged inside her, her breast brushing up his upper chest as he leaned down on her and kissing the salt that he could almost taste right now from her face that leaked out of her sapphire gems. He could almost hear himself moan her name as the tension to release was to come all too soon and...

ACKK! "Hell NO!" He said grabbing both hands to his head and leaning it against one side of a store. He then turned and looked in the window to see the face mirroring the image of what he was having damn daydreams about. He looked not to be himself, his eyes cloud with some strange bewildered look within his gaze.

Was that lust shining in his eyes right now? He blinked a couple times before he saw them back to their regular cold gold pupils. What was wrong with him, why of all people was he feeling this way?

Could it be that he was falling in…

What the hell was he thinking! Damn that bastard for giving him those ludicrous damn thoughts, damn him to all the Hells in the world.

He didn't have to figure which inn the girl Tea was staying at. He knew this town all too well and he already directed her to where she would've pick the one with no leeches or drunks like the ones at the bar. He went through the inn's door and stepped inside.

A plump woman looked up from her account book.

"Oh you must be Mr. Bluesummer. The woman, Ms. Gardener described me about you. She in this room." She pointed to the room number and handed him the key.

He walked up the stairs and headed to the door and opened into the dark room. It seem that no one was here. He looked about the room and saw the bag lying on one of the beds from the side.

Now the question was where was Tea, that girl?

Must have gone out, he highly doubt it or really had time to think much of where that girl would be going at a time like this.  
It would be nice to have it at least without the blue-eyed brunette that had been annoying his thoughts. Whatever could more or less care where she is at the moment, but she'll probably show up sometime later.  
The day had already exhausted him, his head lightly less throbbing and he felt that throughout this whole experience he was in need to jump into the shower and refresh himself and clean those impure thoughts.

_Yeah take an ice cold shower and let yourself be wash of all things of humanity and this feelings that you are not sure of._ But he couldn't help question why he was feeling them and why over her?

He started unclasping the leather bands that were around his arms and removed the skull and placed them on the side table. He took off the white trenchcoat along with shirt and gloves and laid them on a chair. He walked across the room, loosens the belt buckle and his pants and headed to the bathroom and twisted the knob. And what was to happen never before in his life of what he had coming in counter in full shock.

There stood Tea Gardener, the girl that had been pestering his thoughts these last few minutes, stepping out of the shower as if a goddess leaping out of the ocean or as some stories he recalled hearing before, coming out naked to his open eyes, frozen watching him with the same exact gaze he was giving her. Silent and gawking at each other.


	8. Dirty Conscious, Connected Dreams and Sa...

Chapter Eight: Dirty Conscious, Connected Dreams and Sad Lullabies

Tea could not believe what was happening to her today. This was the worst life she was having now.

Correction, the second worst life she was having…period.

She had just finished her shower, her body totally drenched in ice but less sticky and sweaty.

Her skin was burning and felt raw after rubbing herself down with the hard bar of soap and then stepping out of the shower to reach for the towel when the door opened and Legato comes in.

And he was half clothed while she was naked all the way and giving him a full show.

_Holy mother of God! Please let this be another dream…please let this be another fucking nightmare! _When she felt the cooling water shivering her flesh and his heated gaze on her, she realized that this was definitely not a dream.

"AHHH! WHAT THE HELL!" She screamed as she used her hands to cover herself as best she could, forgetting he had been staring at her for the last five minute.

"DON'T YOU HAVE SOME DECENCY TO KNOCK WHEN COMING TO A BATHROOM! GOD CAN'T A GIRL ASK FOR A LITTLE PRIVACY!" She was reaching out with one hand to grab a towel off the rack and as quick as possible wrapped it around her body.

Realizing how sloppy she did, seeing as the towel was practically ready to fall off, she held it with a firm grip while her eyes glared accusingly at him for coming in. "Get out, get out now! Get out and leave me to my privacy!"

"Why should I?" He asked in his velvety voice. That coolness chipped in his tone was sending shiver down her spine. He was looking at her with one eye through his blue bangs.

Staring strangely at her for some reason she wasn't certain that she was unfamiliar to.

Whatever it was, she didn't like it.

* * *

Legato's thoughts were running wildly in his head as she stood holding the towel with her hands that clenched to her wet skin. 

So slick and dripping just coming from the shower, droplets falling from her skin, begging to be tasted, licked…

Everything about her standing there wet just made his body feel hard.

What was going on with him? Every part of him felt tense watching her and he was feeling like he was stuck in place, to heavy to move even a single muscle.

_Why?_ But he shook it off as he leaned his body to the side of the door, looking right at her, her azure eyes staring back with intense heat into his golden orbs.

He just looked to her to the side and crossed his arms. "You are after all done using the bathroom, and I feel in need to use it. Seems only fair that you leave now and give me my privacy."

_Fair my ass, you barged in here bastard!_ Tea thought as she glared at him with fierce velocity.

She hated guys that sounded like they're the fuckin' king of the world, women worshiping the dirt they walked on, begging to be give a kiss on their asses or cocks or whatever the fuck they wanted.

Hell he must've a big ego then. Guys always prowl for women who do what they say and she wasn't like them.

But why did she feel like backing away and trying to escape like a corner rat with a hungry cat. If it was possible, could he really be looking someplace else other than straight at her?

It was making her feel like she wasn't wearing the towel anymore.

She grabbed the piece of cloth more firmly around her body, her knuckles turning white when she felt it slipping, almost letting Legato to see one peak of her breast.

He smirked but she turned with a huff and said, "Fine. Can't you at least turn the other way and let me just wrap this around then I'll be out of your way."

_That way you won't be staring at me like a peeping Tom that you are!_ She thought quietly.

She watched as he did not move from his position but instead closed his eyes. When she was certain that he wasn't peeking, she unwrapped the towel and dried herself and then wrapped it securely, not caring if it cut the circulation on her chest as long as it was tied and covered so she could get the Hell out of here.

And away from him….

"Ok you can open them now. I'm leaving, so it's all yours." She walked over to get through but he still stood in the way. He took almost the whole doorframe, leaning over like that.

His whole body was massive with all those muscles built on his well tone body and he looked like he could easily bench over a thousand if that was possible to do!

Damn, she thought as he opened his eyes and looked down at her.

"Move please." She said but he didn't bulge. It was like talking to a huge towering mountain that dare not get out of her way.

It would take more than saying please to make this jackass to step aside for her.

"I said move." She said trying to keep herself from getting riled up into trying to reach his throat and choking him but it wasn't working.

Already the murderous thoughts were coming in and her hands itching to do that.

"I'll say this one…more…time to get through to your thick skull: Move!"

Legato watched her with bored amusement on his face. Already he could see her losing her temper as she asked him to get out of her way.

How pathetic and typical, he thought, their politeness was about the same as begging and here she was getting all huffy with it as she had to do it to grab his attention.

It was a very entertaining rather say to see her try and get him to move from the door.

Then again it does make her look more intriguing the way she got angry. He did seem to like it how annoyed she was and how he was teasing her.

Her face showing she seem serious, her lips in a small firm pout, her eyes shimmering only added that to the effect along with the way her body was still covered in wet droplets, her hair darken and her bangs plaster to her skin, something about her seems exotic like she had…

He felt it again and it was really become tight inside his pants.

God not this! His groin was aching and begging to release tension.

God, what in Gunsmoke's name was happening? He realized the object of his torture was standing two steps away from him, glaring with the same look he was now giving.

"Fine." He said in a low growl, not his normal smooth tone but with an edge of ice as he couldn't care right now as he felt ready to explode and he'll be damn to have her enjoy his torture. He leaned up and walked towards the side and Tea looked away with relief.

_Thank god, one more minute and I swear I'll kick him hard down in the…_her eyes were trailing down from his face to his chest to his waist as she saw something underneath when he moved away from her.

_Holy Shit!_ His pants were still unzipped and she had seen it with all thoughts to not wanting and he gave her a glowering look to get the Hell out.

She turned flustered as she made her way out the bathroom and heard the door slammed behind. She went to the bed and waited, waited until she heard the water running and then started to breath again.

"Kami, he's big…so big I just can't believe it!" She tried to shake that 'image' that she had seen from her head as she rummage through her bag for an overnight shirt to sleep in.

God, who would have thought everything about this guy, and everything, including down below was so…so…

'_Big…huge…enormous…gigantic…massive…masculine…'_ Her inner conscious said, naming every noted way to make Tea's body burn with heat.

'_Yes, no kidding Tea. I bet you want to touch him all over, to rub your hands everywhere from top to bottom… just to feel those biceps just like back in the desert—'_

_Hey hey, I did NOT touch him like that, I was using a wet cloth to cool his body down. He was burning with a fucking fever for Christ sake!_

'_Uh huh, sure you did but what about when his head was in your lap and you were running your hand down his face, touching every inch...'_

_THAT'S NOTHING! _But her conscious was now filling thoughts in her head, thoughts she should seriously not think about.

Thoughts of her and Legato…

_'Imagine the two of you, together…. naked…ok so I skip way passed where you two stripped each other of your clothes, him with his teeth and you with your…'_

_WHAT!_ But Tea's conscious ignored her as it continue to lay out the image to show.

_'…So anyways his hands tickling playfully on your back as you tip your head back and give a moan as he touches your ass…_

_MY ASS!_

_'Yeah…rubbing it and giving it a firm non-to-gentle squeeze on one cheek, making you pulled in tight…your body rubbing harder against him…doing a great job on his as well as your libido…'_

_I'm not hearing this! I'm not hearing what you are saying—my what! My libido!_

'_Yeah, you pull away and then let him lay down on the bed, you strap his wrist with those black leather bands he always wear, that would be interesting to see you do…'_

"No it wouldn't!" She said, searching for her headphones frantically in her things and placed them over her ears and play 'Linkin Park' music and turned the volume up so loud it seem her ears would bleed.

She started humming to the tune to keep the images out from coming in her head but they still came.

_'You strap his wrist to the bedpost, tight, than watched as he is helpless and can't do anything in his power to stop you from doing what comes next.'_

"Well that would be interesting to see him under me…but he would easily break those bands of his and I don't think I like where this is going!" She said trying to cover over the matter where she thought it would be great to be sitting on top of Legato.

She started singing the song, 'Breakin' the Habit'. Her inner conscious chuckle.

_'Sure you love it. You kiss those scars, every inch of him, your tongue darting out playfully licking them and you hear him give a sexy moan, calling your name and you rake your hands down his abs then reach your destination.'_

_Oh god no…_ This was not what she wanted to hear next.

_'Oh god YES! You tease a bit, wrapped a hand around the base of his erection, thumb tracing the prominent vein on the underside. You hear him give a slight hiss as you press your tongue against the head, circling it once before engulfing as much of him as you could in your mouth.'_

"Oh stop stop, your making me sick to my stomach!" She could almost taste something in her mouth all right and she wanted to hear no more of these dirty 'hentai' thoughts from her mind.

_'Oh no it gets better, after that, you hear him give an animal growl and yelling your name when he feels it coming and—'_

"LALALALALALALA Not listening! LALALALALALALA! Can't hear you, so shut the fuck up? LALALALALLA!"

After a few minutes of listening to the nonstop screams of 'Numb', her inner conscious gave up and left her alone for the night.

_Finally_, she thought resting her head on the pillow and listening with the music down so she wouldn't become deaf,_ I thought that would never stop_.

She pressed the 'stop' button then placed the CD on the table just in case her inner conscious decided to come back to give her 'dreams'.

Dreams…almost a long time she was dreaming and wasn't really sure whether she was awake at times or not. In some she wished that some were never real while others she want never to exist in.

"It's almost my whole life is based on a dream, a mix of reality and a couple twisted nightmares."

How was it that she could tell the possible difference between the real and the fake, hers and this place.

She sighed. God she definitely needed sleep, maybe to wake up from this nightmare of all nightmares.

She closed her eyes for a brief second and an image of Legato popped into her head. The one from when he was standing by the bathroom door, looking at her with his blue hair falling down the side of the face, covering half and letting one gold eye show.

His black shirt and white trenchcoat gone, revealing the battle scars on his chest with the pants unbuckled, hanging slightly on the hips.

She had to admit he looked unbelievable sexy with the image in play of her mind.

OH FUCKIN HELL! Her conscious had done it to her again and she couldn't rid this one now.

SHIT. SHIT. SHIT. SHIT…She brought the pillow in her face and let out an anguish cry of her accursed mind.

* * *

Legato pressed both hands on the cold dew covered wall as water ran down his back, creeping down his spin. The ice droplets wetting his blue hair as it went into his golden eyes. 

But he couldn't shake what had just happened. The way his body reacted.

_God what in Hell's name is wrong with me!_ _Am I going out of my fuckin' mind!_

After seeing her step out of the shower and walking pass him out of the room. The towel close secularly on her body but still revealing the curves underneath it, he noticed how hard he still became, and quickly slam the door and headed to the toilet.

He couldn't believe at what he had saw when he lowered the pants and had to knock off the strain order inside it until it came through, spilling it until the water was filled with white cum and half the seat covered in sticky seeds.

Shit! He thought after the tension was gone and turned it to ice cold and step inside the shower.

_What the fuck made it so…_he pressed one hand to his temple and tried to recall what it was and put the pieces together.

He saw Tea in his mind…her naked…towel held loosely, begging to be drop, curves showing and…

"Fuck!" He had to stop before he had another bang-up to do, then again maybe she could help since it's her fault—

He slammed his fist inside the wall, feeling the tile break, the pain of his fist throbbing and blood tickling down the knuckles. He could get through with a cut but that seem to give him enough to clear the image away from his mind.

But he knew what awaited him out there once he was finished in here.

Fuck! Goddamn bitch, who did she think she was? Coming out of nowhere, saving him, fucking his head with her body in his mind!

The water seem not able help rid his tension but at least wash the stink of the dried blood and sticky sweat he had.

He turned the water off and grabbed the remaining towel, dried himself off and wrapped it around his waist, running one hand through his hair.

He then picked up the pants and walked out of the bathroom and head towards the room where his 'occupant' was.

He saw her in the first bed and couldn't help but glare at her. She sat on the bed, her legs stretched out and crossed, twiddling with something in her fingers, oddly something small he was barely able to see what it was. A charm or something?

Not that he would care what? She didn't seem to give any noticed to him as the thing in her hand seem more important to her than anything else.

What could be so important with that thing she was fiddling with?

Her hair, barely wet was comb back, her body covered, thank god he added, by a long nightshirt. The way she was posed sitting there, her whole body stretched out on the bed and her legs out, she looked to have a soft glow on her body.

Her face serene looking and innocent as an angel's.

_An angel's face with a devil's body._ He thought grimly and he headed towards his own bed, putting the towel down, giving her a chance to peek but didn't and then pulled his pants up.

He turned to check one last time at her as she was putting the thing back inside her shirt and looking towards him as he pulled the covers aside and laid in it.

Tea noticed his appearance and thought a good night sleep was what they needed. She slid under the covers of her own and turned the lights off before falling into her own sleep.

Legato took longer when he sense her soft breathing and knew she had fallen asleep already and he would too soon. His eyes closed and the nightmares that awaited came to him at last.

Inside his mind, twist thoughts and memories started to come in like last time but the worse seem to come when he heard that shout again.

Together they slept, dreaming their own thoughts and memories as in part linked them in more ways imaginable in their dreams.

* * *

_"Murderer!" Again Tea was having that dream. She wanted the dream to stop. She wanted her father…_

…_**To be dead. Legato wanted everything to be dead so that he would have to remember it…the pain…the pain he felt from… **_

_…Her father was brutally hitting her and no one was coming to her rescue. She felt like she was like that child once more, helpless to defend against the cruelty of it all. She would close her eyes and think…_

…_**. How he wished his parents to truly rot in Hell for all the things they done to him. Sometimes he wondered however…**_

_…If her mother live, would things been different? She didn't know the answer but one thing was certain,_

_…**The past kept on coming back and was constantly haunting him until the day he fell into the forever-peaceful slumber of death itself. He could hear the same cold voice saying…**_

_…'Murderer! Fucking Murderer!' Again she tries to ignore his voice but she cannot through the pain he was giving her. She felt…_

…_**Another whip and lash as he continue to beat him up, beating him to leave enough bruises and scars to forever etch into his skin for the rest of his life. He never cried nor yelled in pain, the only one to ever done that was his sister. **_

_**His sister was crying. Crying and yelling… **_

_…Just stop, please stop, she practically cried out as tears trail down her cheeks, let me live a life._

_**But he had no life….**_

_She had no life…_

_**Not anymore… This was Hell now and would be forever tormented in this dank eternal torture under this ghost's watch.**_

* * *

_Again her father was shouting at her. She had her ears covered but the shouting seems to have diminished as something was changing in her dream._

_Tea, as the little girl and part of her reality too noticed this sudden change. She saw it change to an overly open room._

_A sparse country ranch style with not too many decorative or beauty in there to make it seem a home but was just a barren illusion, trying to hide something but what? _

_It was so hollow, empty of feelings, of people's emotion in this place? What was this? _

_It was so new to her than she never seen before in her past._

_She soon heard voices, coming from one of the rooms in this place. Yelling ones._

_What, what's happening? The dream-conscious Tea thought. _

_She was running towards where she was hearing the sounds and when she got there, she stop. _

_There she saw two people, a man and woman shouting at something in a corner. Someone, a girl who was screaming to them to stop, standing in front of that person, protecting them from the two adults. _

_Tea came closer into the room and walked over behind the girl to see who she was protecting from the two adults as they were shouting at her to move away. _

_A boy. A blue-haired boy of no more of nine or ten, standing still, his body shaking but he wasn't crying but too busy watching the girl telling them to leave him alone with his gold eyes._

"_Get out of the way!" The man, the father slapped the girl hard in the face, forcing her to fall to the ground. Then the man looked back at the blue-haired boy who stared coldly at him with demeanor of hate and no fear. _

"_You're a freak!" The woman, his mother said, slapping him with her hand. The boy turn his cold gaze to the woman then. _

_The father picked him up and threw him to the side. Soon the man was fumbling with his belt buckle and pulled it out of the loops. _

_Oh god, Tea thought as she watched in horror as the man used it to whip the boy while the woman grabbed the boy's arm, holding him in place to stand. _

"_No stop stop it! Leave him alone." Tea turned and saw the little girl who looked a year or two younger than she, climbing to her feet and rushing to the two parents. _

"_Leave Legato alone! He doesn't deserve this! He's just a boy—"_

"_A boy? A boy! How can this-this THING, this MONSTER be ever considered a child!" _

_The mother threw the boy on the ground after their father finished whipping him, "Don't you see, don't you see with your two goddamn eyes, he's no child. He's the DEVIL'S Child! A demon brat!" _

_The mother hit the girl again before she and her husband left the two where they were. _

_The boy stood up shakily, his skinny knees buckling as fresh blood spilled down his ruined shirt and onto the floor. _

_He looked up from the ground, his golden eyes staring at them, holding no emotions whatsoever. Tea stared at him, feeling tears trail down her face. She felt sorry for the boy, he didn't deserve to be called a monster, the only monsters she had seen were the way those two people acted._

_How could they be cruel… _

_Just as she was about to wipe her tears, she saw him turn his head turn towards her and stared hard at her. _

_As if she was real. He stared at her while walking slowly to her. Tea felt that she was really seeing who this was. He was standing right in front of her and she looked at him, blood coming from a cut on his forehead. She reached up and touched it with her fingers. _

_It was going to be the same place where the bullet would enter in eleven years from now. _

_Was this, could it be…_

'_Legato…' She stared at him curiously as he started bending his head and leaning his face close to her. _

_She stood still as he lean further before their lips could possibly brush with the other. _

_She closed her eyes and felt his warm breath on her lips and…_

"_Legato?" Tea opened her eyes to see the boy pulled away and turned to look at the little girl. He turned his back to Tea and started walking towards her and before Tea knew it he was gone. _

_The room that she was standing in was a room of total darkness and the last thing she wanted was to be left alone._

* * *

Tea awoke slowly sitting up on the bed looking around her surroundings, making certain that she was awake. She looked at her sleeping companion on the other side of the room. 

The dream was still fresh in her mind with the people and Legato whose back was turn to her.

Did she really see that or had she imagine it?

Maybe it was in her head, but then why did it seem real to her and who had that little girl been, his sister?

Did Legato have a family? And that girl, who was she, who was she to Legato, his sister? What happened to them? All these question running through her head would keep her awake most of the night.

Tea felt a throbbing headache coming on and she slowly pulled off the bedsheets to walk over to the window and stare out at the clear sky above.

She remembered how every time she had disturbing dreams, she always sang to herself to make them go away.

But that had been years and years ago and she didn't know if she could. And she wouldn't dare try to wake up Legato while he was sleeping.

She noticed the window had an opening and a ledge the size of a balcony sitting outside. She quietly unlatched the locks and opened gently and stepped out into the cool night.

She looked up at the beautiful twin moons that shined above in all it's alabaster glow and close her eyes.

_**I follow the night  
Can't stand the light  
When will I begin  
To live again?**_

Legato was waking up, stirring from his sleep. He sat up slowly in the bed.

Strange how the nightmare was fading away from the different one he had. Sure it had been his past he dreamed but there had been something else. Someone else had been in his dream.

That someone had been crying, crying over him?

He saw in his dream a little girl who was trying to wipe her tears from her eyes and he walked over to her.

He stared at her with those wide blue eyes as he lean close to her and then he turn to someone calling and then the dream ended.

It faded and then he woke up to heard that soft singing coming by the window.

It was the sound of Tea's voice, but she wasn't talking to herself, but rather singing softly. If he hadn't heard that her singing, he would still be asleep, probably lost in that nightmare.

It sounded so much like hers in a way, pure and soft, filled with sadness and sorrow. He listened to her sweet sad lullaby.

**_One day I'll fly away  
Leave all this to yesterday  
What more could  
Your love do for me?  
When will love be  
Through with me?  
Why live life from  
Dream to dream  
And dread the day  
When dreaming ends?_**

Tea opened her eyes and felt tears trailing down as she sang softly to herself. Her heart felt torn, she was lost and had no one to comfort with. Nobody to hold her, to kiss her and say 'I love you'.

It was a dream, her dream...her undying dream.

Always with dreams, always thinking of becoming a dancer when she been young, her friends would be by her side still, a love found...

But dreams had to end. Dreams had to fade as only they couldn't really happen.

They had to end most painfully...leaving her to bear with the pain of loniness alone.

She saw a ladder leading up from the balcony and climbed it up wanting to feel more free as she wanted to be freed from all her tight filled sorrow and let her emotions be cried out.

She would reach the roof where nobody else could hear her, nobody except one who was following her quietly and remaining in the shadows as she stood on the far edge of the rooftop, singing with all her heart.

_**One day I'll fly away  
Leave all this to yesterday  
Why live life from  
Dream to dream  
**_

She stopped, the words taking impact on her and her chest felt too tight.

Why live life, dreaming of a far away dream, an escape of reality and its cruel fate?

Why keep dreaming of something that can't be changed or given another chance, another moment before all these things happened?

Why keep wishing to expect your friends, your lover here and everything all right again when you know something like this could happen again to you? This is what she really knew.

Dreaming was believing lies, lies that wanted to exist but could never happened because the truth was there.

The truth was reality.

_**And dread the day  
When dreaming ends?**_

She pulled the chain from her shirt and finger the ring in her hand, the wedding ring that she had been holding before falling asleep.

She felt the cold metal touch her skin and gripped it tightly before she let go of her palm and stare at it once more.

_**One day I'll fly away  
Fly...fly...away**_

* * *

Legato watched her silently from the shadow, her back turn away from everything it seem, staring down at the town below, her eyes straining to look for something that could not be found. Then he saw her fell on her knees and started crying. 

Her sorrow, her helplessness, her loneness shed as the tears flow down her cheek into the palms of her hands as she cover them and sank to the ground. He could hear everything from her heart wrenching sobs.

Legato didn't know what was happening to him. For many people he saw and killed, the many he seen cried, begging for mercy, never before had he give another thought until his heart felt touched hearing her song and listening to her pain and loneness.

He wanted to go over and…comfort her? Hold her and make those tears go away…

Did he want to do that or was it her tears calling to him? He stood still, waiting and thinking of what to do before he saw her standing up and looking down at the town again.

She saw her lips whispered something, though he could not make what they were, he opened his mind and connect to hers to see what she had said.

_Seto…oh Seto, I wish you were here…I wish everybody was…but I miss you…_ Tears trailed down but now they had lost their effect on him as he heard her say that person's name. 

Seto, who was this Seto! Legato felt anger rising inside him and he quickly fled down the stairs back to the room before she noticed she wasn't alone.

Once he made it to the room, he was breathing heavily and he sank down on the bed uneasy over the two feelings he was confused over.

He felt his heart both crying and screaming, his mind wanting to kill and comfort her. He gripped the back of his head and gave a low-animal groan.

What was happening to him? What the Devil was going on, had he completely lost it when that bastard Vash shot him! Right now all he could think was wanting to know who this Seto person was and…

_And what, what do you plan to do with him, you want to kill him cause of her, feeling jealous? You don't know him as much as you know Tea. This girl is nothing but trouble, just do yourself a favor and kill her? Just plain and simple._

Yeah he would, he would tonight in fact when she come back through the window and head back to her bed and sleep. He would control her and force her to kill herself. He felt the tension released and laid down to wait.

Wait for his prey to come within his trap. And then be ready to kill…


	9. Failed Plan and Sweet Midnight Kisses

Chapter Nine: Failed Plan and Sweet Midnight Kisses

Legato laid in the bed as he pretend to be asleep waiting for Tea. He heard the ladder creak softly outside as she climbed down the rails and walked towards the ledge and stepped in through the window. She closed it and walked toward her bed, he turn sideways just for a quick glimpse through slit opened eyes.

Tea had stop crying and the only proof that she had was the dry slim trails on her face in the moonlights as she used the back of her hands to dry her tears. She crawled under the covers and closed her eyes. Exhaust had finally won over her at last as she released herself into her empty dark world of sleep.

Legato waited, waited until he could hear her soft and steady breathing until he felt certain that she was indeed asleep and wasn't faking it.

Now it was time. Time to end this.

Time to end his godforsaken torture.

Slowly he sat up on the bed and watched from a distance as he open his mind and focused his power on her.

_Just make it quick_, he thought as he forced his control over her and slowly made her hands come up from the blanket. The blanket was tossed aside by accident as her hands were under and she was moving them up.

He watched as one of her hand pulled up the nightshirt she wore and saw her black-laced panties. Suddenly his control stopped halfway as he was caught off guard by the little distraction.

God, what the? Just seeing those had made him lose his concentration and her hand lay still on her thigh. He shook his head mildly trying to rid the minor setback. He needed to stay focus and get this through.

Once again he got her hand moving towards her throat but while trying to bring her other hand up he saw that he miscalculated and that it had pulled the nightshirt up all the way and revealed the rise and fall of her soft rounded breast, the nipples tipped rose-colored.

His eyes seem to darken as he had stopped the one hand lying above her breast and the other resting over her thigh. God why was it becoming so goddamn hot in this room?

No what the heck was going on, this wasn't right? This wasn't how he wanted, but somehow he was drawn to it, he wanted this.

_No I am to force her to choke herself!_ But then another came in, one mockingly not of his own killing conscious was taunting him inside his head.

'_Oh yes you could you could have kill her easier the 'other' way plain and simple but you wanted this more.' _

_No I do not! _He argued with his strange new conscious. Maybe this was another obstacle placed for him to fall for, yeah but question was who had set it? Was it her?

He looked at her and felt the rapid beating of his own heart. The blood pounding in his ears was almost defiling over the laughter of this new 'foe'.

'_You wanted her hands to run down her body first as you plan to force them around her throat. You wanted to watch this, you wanted to see her touch herself.'_

_What no fucking way! Why in Hell's name would I want to see that girl's body! I mean she wouldn't dare…_

'_But you would. Look below her, see where her hand is angle right near the entrance, why don't you open them up and explore…?' _

He looked down and his gaze fell to where her legs were still, rippling with small goosebumps on her flesh as the coolness of the room touched her naked skin, her hand atop her creamy thighs, rubbing them to gather warmth. Her fingers lightly fingering the black lace underwear on accident…

It was making Legato feel like he was on fire and desperate as he took of his shirt and laid it on the floor.

His mind was running with unspeakable thoughts as the original plan was crumbling and a new one was rising. Something that he couldn't believe he was thinking about.

Would he dare wanted to see them parted, would she have wanted to open them apart for him, whether she would…his eyes widen as he saw the unbelievable happened.

Her legs moved apart, leaving him to wonder if he had controlled her at the last second or SHE did that of her own free will. He swallowed the hard lump settling in his throat.

He couldn't believe what was happening to him all of a sudden. He was feeling uncontrollable hot everywhere, his body mentally craving to touch her, to taste every inch of her body as his mouth parch like he wanted something to quench that empty thirst.

Was this the feeling told before of undeniable lust, the desire that made two people feel towards one another?

Was this what Midvalley had always said he felt with the women when they surrounded the two and he took his pick and walked them to another room?

But he did that with loads of women in the past and he could never control his unstoppable crave of beautiful women to flirt and play in bed. But now Legato could seem to feel this unstirred emotions waving off from Tea's body.

God he felt like his head was being hammered inside, just ready to crack at any given second if he didn't do something to stop the terrible beating it was doing to him. He wanted to shake the image badly but he was forever cast under the spell of his own undoing and watched under the moonlights Tea's hands touching her pale body.

He watched her hand roam atop her chest and grabbed one of her breast. His eyes stayed right there as she gripped one between thumb and forefinger, a light moan escaping her red lips. Her moans enough were the one make him give under, to will him to do what he didn't want to think of doing.

Already he felt himself losing the battle and needed her moans to escape his prison.

No I'm suppose to kill her! 

_**Touch yourself Tea. Touch in the places where your hands are now. **_

Tea was at first seemed to be reluctant but she did as order. Her hands continue to touch where they were, rubbing up and down her thigh and grabbing her breast and pinched the nipples. She had placed her own hand between her legs, the fabric of her underwear blocking her way of entering. He moved closer to her, his eyes never leaving the sight of his own dark desire continue.

_This isn't suppose to happened!_ He didn't want this happening because...he knew it would have to end soon and he didn't want that to stop.

He stood by her bedside and placed his hand and moved it slowly toward her chest. He touched her breast and slowly circled around the hard pebbled nipple across from her other breast where her hand continue her menstruate motion.

His hand moved away from her breast, lying on her stomach and was replaced by his lips as he covered the softness and lapped it in with his tongue. He suckled hard, feeling the small nipple and nibbling to the point where he almost broke the skin.

Mustn't leave a mark, but then again it would be very nice to show that she's…he listened to her moans and felt her breathe in soft cries for more.

You want more…he smirked inside his mind.

_**Tea, run your hands down your thighs inside. **_

Tea's hand that laid on her breast moved down her body, brushing his hand when they made contact and went to touching her stomach, moving and caressing her abdomen down to rest on the opposite side of where her thigh from the other.

_Don't be thinking like that! Remember she seducing you and already you're falling under her spell!_

But that voice was long gone from his mind as he heard her moan louder and he pulled away as his eyes traveled to where her two hands were now rubbing in between.

There was one thing he wanted, the one thing making him unbearable hot and her panties were in the way.

_**Remove them. Remove your clothes. **_

Tea's hands obeyed as she lifted the shirt off and then slide her panties down making them stay in place around her legs.

He wanted them off and walked over towards her, his body hot and damn with his failed plan, drew the undergarments off her, feeling how warm and smooth her legs were. He removed them very carefully and slow, wanting to trace his hands down her body.

Tea gave a soft moan that Legato couldn't help but want to kiss her.

'_Kiss her! You wanted to kill her! You're suppose to be controlling her, not the other way around…'_

_Shut up, shut up! _He shouted inside his mind. His eyes watched as Tea lay still, waiting for her master's next order.

Legato couldn't help it as his hand took over and reached over to touch one of her hands. He positioned her hand to where her opening was.

Now put your fingers inside! 

Tea's hand along with Legato's plunged into the cleft between her legs. He controlled her to push them in and out, her body rising to meet.

Her hips buck with each thrust that they, their fingers entwined inside her. The heat nimbly running down his hand in warm liquid as they went further in.

She gave more moans, and becoming more desperate, Legato removed her hand and replaced his.

She moved with him playing with the nerve of her jewel and slip deeper inside her becoming very wet in his hands. How he wanted to imagine himself inside her now in place of his hand but this was enough to sate him.

Enough to sated him for now.

He took one last plunge to sent her over the edge, feeling her slight shiver and her soft cry of ecstasy that broke over the two.

Legato looked down at her, her face holding a small smile before letting out one quiet sigh through her parted lips. Legato leaned down, closing the distance, pressed his against her.

Her lips tasted sweet and caressing, he pressed them lightly to let them breath but he continue to kiss them tenderly and softly. He didn't want this to end, his lips feeling her warm breath felt like he was breathing the breath of Heaven.

He wanted this to last forever, just to stay immobile by the world outside, to having to kiss her lips and feel her body like this. But night would not last forever and she would soon wake up and wanted to know why he had been kissing her.

He didn't know why either but he wish he did.

He pulled away slowly, feeling her groan of protest of leaving her. He moved away carefully, not to trigger her awake and to stand back over watching.

Her nightshirt was lying to the side along with her panties, how was this going to work.

Damn not good, by the time she woke she'll probably think he raped her in her sleep! Which didn't seem too farfetched from how close he might've gotten if he hadn't taken control to calm his inner hormones.

It was going to be hard to convince her that she had decided to undress in the middle of the night with him inside the other bed.

He looked around and saw the temperature of the air conditioner, the fan humming softly letting in cool air to the room. He walked over and quickly turned the knob to warm it up a notch. The room would become warmer soon and then Tea would think she had removed her clothing when it got too hot just like he had taken his shirt.

As he was walking over to his own bed, he stopped and took one last look at her. She was laid out in a still pose, her hands lying over herself, the way she had tried to cover herself before in the bathroom.

Legato pulled the covers over her so she wouldn't feel totally naked when she woke up and noticed. He watched as she turned her head sideways and smiled.

Strangely enough he was thinking of kissing once more but didn't want to push too far his limitation now. But he stroked a stray of her hair from her face and left her alone.

He walked back to his own bed and fell back asleep, the nightmares too far away to reach him as he only thought of Tea and what he had done.

So close, so unbelievable close…

He brought his one hand to his face and licked the juice from his fingers.

The juice was sweet and delicious than anything he ever tasted and now as he smacked his lips, tasting the still warm flavor of what he could not be certain but enjoy it from both her lips and the Eve within her body.

If he knew what he was going to think of the next few months when something would happened to change his life, he wouldn't believe it. He wouldn't believe that he had made himself have a claim over Tea as she did with him from the moment she saved him from the desert and death itself.


	10. Where Sometimes The Path We Chose Isn’t

**Blue Kitsune**: Ok I know this is going to seem off from the series and all but I'm alternating stuff so that it goes my way sorta and I hope you don't hate this alright. Please read and review.

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Chapter Ten: Where Sometimes The Path We Chose Isn't Always Right

Hot…so freakin hot…

Tea was tossing and turning in her bed, trying to get some more sleep but couldn't as the heat became unbearable to sustain with sweat covering her. As if being out in the desert wasn't hot enough. But that was not all the reason why her body was so hot.

Last night she felt like she had been zoned out, completely and all she remembered was going to sleep after the rooftop and then everything blacked out. Then the weirdest started happening. It was like she wasn't in touch with herself but somehow it was as if she couldn't control her body was giving off an odd vibe and she didn't know what it was.

And then there was that sense where hands were running down her body, removing her T-shirt and underwear and feeling something stick in and then pull out over and over. At first it felt like her own hands then another's, hard and slim but very callous entering her. But whose was it? What was that?

Slowly she opened her eyes and looked around the room. She saw to one side, Legato still asleep, side turn staring at the wall.

How can he sleep like that? I mean it so hot in here? Then again if he could sleep in a desert wearing that coat and jeans and stuff, then a hot room would have made no differences. She used the back of her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

My god I gonna dehydrated if I don't get some water. Better take off my clothes before they stick to me and hit the shower.

Speaking of which she noticed something funny and looked down to see she wasn't wearing her shirt or underwear only the sweatsoaked blanket that had covered her during the night.

Epp! She pulled the covers back on and looked over to see if Legato woke up but thankfully he did not. Last thing she wanted was to have another naked episode like last time.

She looked under the sheets again and then search for her clothes and found her T-shirt and panties lying on the floor.

"How in the world…" Why she was naked she was uncertain until the heat of the room hit her once more. Must have gotten too hot and she had tossed the covers aside and her clothes off and pull the sheets back up to cover herself.

Yeah that must be it, I got warm and decide to only sleep with the blanket. But then why did it sound so false in her mind. If she could have taken off her shirt, why also her panties for crying out loud!

Whatever, this was becoming too much for her right now and too early in the morning to think.

And besides, if I stay in here any longer I might end up turning into jerky.

Grabbing another set of clothes from her bag, she tiptoe carefully to the bathroom and closed the door, locking it so no unwelcome guest would come in.

* * *

Legato heard the bed creak on the other side and the soft padding of feet as they made their way to the bathroom and hearing the click of the lock inside. 

He stood up in bed and listened to hear the shower running.

He had been waiting in silence, waiting and wondering if she bought it when he first sensed her waking up. She had seem surprised and confused but was still convinced and a part of her had been wondering halfway to the bathroom as to why she would have taken off her panties as well. He gave a light chuckle.

If only she knew. He walked over to the air conditioner and turned the button down to its normal temperature as if it would have made any change to the heat in the room. Once he did that he walked past her bed and saw something sticking out from underneath her pillow.

Curiosity getting the best of him, he plucked the thing out and went over to his bed and look at the object in his hand.

It was a picture of Tea in the arms of a young man. A man who looked in his mind too happy with her in his arms, his hands set low over her body bringing them close together in the photo. He glared coldly at the boy.

Who was he, this boy beside her? Was this the guy she called Seto? The flame of jealousy flared once more inside him as he stare at the picture.

He looked closely at him. The boy didn't looked all that special, simply ordinary, nothing so great about him. He looked almost to be Tea's twin brother or cousin instead of a lover.

Then again, maybe not the way he saw their arms were around each other. Why was he overreacting over this, this picture showing Tea with another guy? Why did he seem to have an unconscious dark feeling against him?

_Maybe you prefer her to be in your arms then with this man? _He lay down and stared at the ceiling. Could it possible, no it couldn't be! He wouldn't even dare admit that to be feeling something like that for something or someone. That would be admitting to have emotions towards a person, a human!

But yet…could it explain to him why he had the sudden urge to go and wrap his arms around her, to hold her, feel his hands run down her hair and breath her intoxicating scent and kiss those lips again and again, whispering her name while she looked at him with the same gaze towards the person in the photo.

Tea… 

He looked at his right hand, the one that had been inside Tea and gentle touch it to his lips, running his tongue over it. Even after a fore night they still had the taste of her special nectar. How was it possible, he would like to know? To know as to why this was happening to him out of the blue?

* * *

Tea thought she heard something but believed it to be her imagination as she rinsed herself in the cold spray. Yeah I must be definitely thinking stuff out of the ordinary then. It seem to be going wild now so far, imagining dead husband back from the grave to take a shower with you, hearing voices in your head telling dirty thoughts with another guy, feeling possessed and tasting the taste of something spicy and exotic. 

Spicy? Exotic? Wait a minute. She stuck her tongue out and trailed it around her mouth. Yep they tasted something all right.

What was wrong with her? How was it that they tasted so different unless… There was only one way to find out.

She turned the shower off and quickly grabbed the towel off the rack and dried herself off in the stall before stepping out and pulling on the clothes she brought in. Combing her hair with her hands and once she finished she unlocked the door and stepped out into the room.

Legato looked up, not too surprised or so much as blink when she came out of the bathroom but when what he saw he never thought he would ever think twice of how his eyes would remain on her.

Tea wore a red halter top that looked tight along with black shorts with ebony knee high boots she strapped in there while changing.

The expression on his face was captivate by her standing there staring back.

Ok what was it? His eyes seem to be staring hard at her for some reason. The two held the staring contest long before Tea spoke.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer."

He raised one eyebrow in her direction. Hmm she thinks that's cocky. Funny I prefer the real thing than some inanimate photo. And he thought back to the picture and of the young man in there, embracing Tea.

That man touching her… He clenched his fist but did not allow Tea to see.

Tea blew a strand of hair that fell into her eyes as she stared at him. "So what now?"

Yes what now? What could he possible want to do or say at her after what was happening inside him? These strange and awkward moment needed to be broken somehow but what?

By watching her place her hands on her hips, seeing the very noticeable curves, the way the shirt seem to stretch in place, cut above the stomach bringing him show of her navel. His eyes trailed down a bit longer before looking up at her with a questionable look on his face. "Nice piercing."

She blinked confused before realizing what he was talking about. "Thanks…"

She looked down at her stomach and saw the small white dragon with sapphires for blue eyes hung on her bellybutton while the other two hung on each of her ears. They were the symbol of Kaiba's special monster. The Blue Eyes White Dragons…a gift from him before their last time together.

She looked up and saw him still staring at the one on her stomach. "What were you expecting, that I have pixies craved on instead?"

Legato shrugged, "Whatever goes on your body is your decision." He was surprised that he didn't see that on her before but guessing from way back in the bathroom or since the room was so dark last night and his eyes were more focused on well…he was just surprise to see them.

In a way, they do seem attractive if you like girls with marks, tattoos or piercings on their bodies. He didn't hear what Tea was saying as she was waving a hand in front of his face.

"Hello, earth to Legato! Hey!" She snapped her fingers and that seem to catch his attention. He blinked and saw her arms cross and scowling right at him.

"Honestly, why don't we go do something instead of staying in this room all day having a staring contest. At least let's go explore! I don't know this place, but since you might, I think it would—" He stood up and walked past her towards the bathroom and gave the door a hard slam, locking it. She stood where she was for one second before turning around, not believing what just happened.

'_Oh, ice cold.'_ Her conscious winced. Tea fumed silently as she stared daggers at the closed door.

"Fine be that way, I'll go exploring by myself, no help from you! Is this the thanks I get for helping your ass back in the desert?" She yelled as she grabbed from out of her bag a red jacket and grabbing the doorknob. She gave the door one last glare.

"Well next time you get shot in the head, don't come looking for 'Nurse Tea' to fix you up. Let someone else find you!" And then stepped out to head into town by herself.

'_You know, you should have probably waited until Legato was finished and asked once more if he could take you. I mean—'_

_Shut up, shut up about him! I don't want to hear anything about him, Legato Bluesummer. Not one word!_

Tea was pretty much still angry as she made her way out of the inn and walked down the street under the morning suns. But after walking under the heat she started to mutter to herself. "Man, being stuck in a desert, having little sleep and shitty dreams, and hanging with a guy who's look sexy but is an ass…"

Wait did she just call Legato 'sexy'. Her brain must be getting fried from being out way too long in the sun.

And her feet were starting to get blisters. She decided to take a seat under a nearby shaded bench.

The shade felt good and her temper had cool down to a faring depth at least she was able to be calm and enjoy seeing the people coming and going. She saw them dress in Western-modern dressed people coming out of the sandy adobes that were either their houses or their shops.

At first some stared in her direction, noticing a woman with a piercing on her exposed belly button, her unusual clothes with her pants rolled up. None of those women had their bodies showing that much skin and being unaccompanied by no man with her.

_Ok, newsflash people, it's hot out, so put on some shorts on or something!_ Tea watched as some turned away as she looked towards them and sighed.

Well this really was the pit! She supposed that maybe she really did landed in some sorta weird twilight zone. Tea yawned and blinked sleepily. _A few z's would do her some good and hopefully not let her have any run-ins with either nightmares or Legato or both even for all she cared! _ She unknot the jacket around her waist and pulled it on as she needed something comfortable to lie in.

_Man not the best place to recline but at least I can be not sitting in the same room with him!_

She laid herself out, stretching her whole body on the bench and eased herself in a resting position where she had folded arms behind her head and closed her eyes for a few minutes. _Much better!_

She sighed then allowed herself to fall into the peaceful slumber of her morning nap.

* * *

"Uh where is he! Man I tell you, I can't stand that guy sometimes. We turn our backs for one second and then he decides to go and disappeared. If the chief got any words of this, we're both screwed!" 

A petite dark haired woman, followed by a taller one, was so angry that the crowd dissipated from standing in the way of the smaller one. She was burning red, not because of the sun, oh something more.

"WHERE THE HELL IS THAT ASSHOLE! WHEN I FIND YOU I'M GOING TO HOGTIE YOU AND MAKE CERTAIN YOU NEVER ESCAPE FROM ME!"

Nobody in the vivacity could ignore that loud out cry as the people all stared at the women who were the only ones able to say that. The brunette gave a burning glare and people decided it was best to let them be on their way!

"When I get my hands on him. I'll-I'll—" She then started to walk in a faster pace as she went searching still for the dumb blond guy that she and Milly had to be tagging everywhere in every freaking city! Milly followed while trying her best to calm the small insurance girl.

"Now now Meryl calm down, I'm sure we'll find Mr. Vash, he could be in a bar, catching another Sand streamer, sleeping on that bench over there, or…" Meryl stopped and both she and Millie looked at one another than at the person sleeping over close by the door of the nearest bar.

So that's where he's been! Meryl thought guessing the idiot went and drown himself in alcohol while she and Millie searched all over for him. Well time for some payback!

"Oh Vash, you're gonna get it now!" She stormed over the bench and then grabbed the red shirt and then started shaking and yelling at the bastard.

"VASH YOU NO GOOD BASTARD SONOFABITCH! I FINALLY FOUND YOU AND YOU'RE PROBABLY STINKING OF ALCOHOL AT THIS TIME! YOU ARE SO DEAD MISTER, DEAD OR ALIVE FOR SIXTY BILLION DOUBLE DOLLAR VASH THE STAMPEDE YOU DON'T DESERVE TO BE WORTH THAT MUCH FOR THAT IDIOTIC BRAIN YOU HAVE YOU DAMN BASTARD!"

Meryl was shaking until she thought she heard the eyeballs rattling in the skull of Vash the Stampede. Milly inched closed and then seeing something that Meryl in all her anger didn't, started tapping her on the shoulder, saying, "Um Meryl…Meryl, I think you should stop!"

Meryl turned and glared at her tall friend. "No I won't stop. Vash has caused enough problems as it is and I'm giving him reasonable punishment!" Meryl continue to throttle the poor person until Milly grabbed both arms and held them tight.

"But Meryl that's not Mr. Vash!" Meryl, while struggling to escape her friend's grip and continue her torture on Vash, stopped when Milly said it wasn't. "What do you mean Milly, that's Vash all right! I mean come on, who else could it be—"

Suddenly both women stopped their arguing as a voice that came from the bench, a woman's voice yelled at them.

"WHAT THE FUCKING HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM WOMAN, GOD I FALL ASLEEP FOR ABOUT TWO MINUTES THEN I'M BEING CHOKED TO DEATH BY YOU! WHAT ARE YOU SOME CRAZY WOMAN OR SOMETHING, GOD IS THE WHOLE WORLD AGAINST ME!"

Both Meryl and Milly, Meryl's face drain of her emotional angry to a rather pale color as she stared at a young girl who looked to have been through the worst shit storm of her life, her hair disarrange all over her face, her clothes tousled from Meryl's thrashing on top of her. The girl blew out the brown bangs and stared coldly at the two with dark blue eyes. "What the Hell was that for!"

Both Meryl and Millie looked at one another.

Oh dear, they had mistaken an innocent person as Vash the Stampede.

Oh shit, what rotten luck they had gotten into.

* * *

It was around noon where Meryl, Milly and the girl that they accidentally mistaken as Vash, her name was Tea were sitting by a small café having lunch. Meryl was too busy thinking that she had made the worst mistake in her life while Milly was thinking either what was good on the dessert menu or about who would name someone as Tea. 

She thought it was cute yet rather strange.

While they ordered their drinks, Tea remembered how about two hours ago where Milly and Meryl were both apologizing to her.

* * *

"I am SO sorry…it was a complete mistake, I mean I didn't think, I just, oh here let me help!" Meryl was busy smoothing the shirt that seems to stretch just a little too out and Milly was dusting off the red jacket that was on the ground. 

How easily they made their mistake when this was a gal and she was so much shorter than Vash and the whole attire different than his. Plus she was a brunette, not a blond. Meryl and Milly, after they finished apologizing, decided to make amends and offer to pay for the dry cleaning on her clothes, or damage they done to them.

"It's ok, they were old anyways and beside I have more back in my room." She then felt her stomach gave a low growl and all three girls looked to one another.

"Sounds like you're hungry!" Milly exclaimed while Meryl and Tea both sweatdropped in her presence.

Just who were these two girls exactly? Tea took her time looking at them both.

The woman who attacked her from the left had short dark haired with light gray eyes wearing a white suit with a cape attached. The other woman was taller than her friend, almost as tall as Legato! She had light chestnut hair and clear blue eyes along with a sweet smile on her face, wearing a suit like a man's attire with a green and tan coat hanging on her shoulders.

Tea saw that the two must be a bit off but saw that they were about as normal as she could find in this place, and lunch did seem to sound pretty good up to the point.

"Yeah I guess I forgot to eat breakfast this morning and was planning to head to a café. Do you know where I can go to get some food?"

The petite woman next to the tall one nodded. "Yeah we know of a pretty decent one, it's got some good tastes even if it's a little expensive. But we're willing to treat as a sort of apology to you Miss um…"

"Tea, Tea Gardener and you would be?"

The small brunette pointed to herself, "I'm Meryl Stryfe and this is my associate Milly Thompson." They extended their hands and shook with Tea's as they walked towards the place for eat.

* * *

"So tell me why exactly were you um…what the word I'm looking for? Choking me to death?" Tea asked as the waitress returned with their drinks. Tea took a sipped of her ice water while the two seem to stare into their own drinks. Meryl sighed and said, "I thought you were somebody we knew and obvious how the mistake was and I was just too blind by my anger and…" She grabbed her glass and took a long sip. Tea looked over to Milly for her answer. She just kept smiling, "We just thought you were Mr. Vash!" 

Vash? That name sounded familiar, exactly where did she heard it? Hmm, Vash…Vash… She started tapping her forehead wondering when she had heard the name. When no recollection came she turned to Meryl who was taking another sip of her water.

"Um just exactly who is Vash?" Tea later regret asking as Meryl spit out her ice water halfway in her direction, wetting her face and her shirt. Meryl turned red and started apologizing again and using her napkin to wipe the water off. "Sorry about that too, but you just completely caught me off surprised, for a moment I thought I heard you say you didn't know who Vash the Stampede was?"

Tea, whose face was dry but her shirt clinging wet to her chest used her napkin to blotch out the wet stain. "Yeah I did ask who he was?"

Both Meryl and Milly looked at each other with stunned face. This girl didn't know who Vash was, THE VASH THE STAMPEDE.

"Um Miss Gardener, are you sure you having heard news of the Humanoid Typhoon? The one who destroyed July city over 23 years ago? The Sixty Billion Double dollar reward on his head!"

Tea shook her head at all these questions and just when she was about to ask, their waitress return with their orders. Tea took her time eating as she wasn't thinking how her food taste, more of what she had heard these women told her.

A guy name Vash destroy a city? How did he do it? Did he planted bombs in every building then timed them all just to get them to explode at once in a huge explosion? But there must have been more ways to destroy a city than with just bombs. But how?

And what exactly did Meryl mean with sixty billion double dollars. Double dollars, what the Hell was that?

'It's definitely a new world after all.' She sighed as she tried to sort these things out in her mind. Maybe asking who Vash was wasn't such a bright idea. Now she decided maybe she should change the conversation. "Hey what are double dollars exactly?"

* * *

Legato was again lying on his bed, barely moving from his spot as he stared at the ceiling and above. He couldn't take anymore of this. This was driving him up the wall. She, Tea had apparently had been a gift from the Devil or Vash or both in his case as he couldn't take his mind off her. Or get rid of these strange feelings and urges. 

God how do I bear this when I can't even seem to stop. He stare at the nothingness of the white ceiling, thinking exactly the same. He felt he wasn't able to control himself and if he didn't do something about them, sooner or later the urges were going to destroy him. Killing her had been his first motive but after that plan failed and his body became more uncontrollable aroused.

If only he could find some way to stop it, if his master would help solve the problem…

His head was hurting and he desperately wanted to go and grab some food and leave this place right now. But if he did, he would leave her to fend for herself without any support or help she needed.

So what, that bitch has been messing with my head too long from the start! "…Goddamn bitch! Why the fuck she here!" He picked up a lamp and threw it against the wall where it shatter into pieces. He had never in his life lost control until last night where he did the unthinkable. "Why didn't I kill her in the first place last night, what the fuck went wrong! She's nothing, nothing but a worthless human! They're all a bunch of shit!" As he thought back, her body naked, her nipples erected and her moans echoing inside his mind, the feeling of his fingers inside, it was becoming too much!

And the boy! Goddamn that guy, he was seriously in his thoughts as he had stared at the picture with a glare that would have burn right through the photo itself. There was an obvious gleam in the boy's blue eyes, smirking-like almost mocking Legato as he held Tea in his arms saying to him that she was his and his alone.

If the bastard were here in this room he would have personally torn the guy to shreds, mind control or not. The hot prick of jealous was burning inside him and making him feel the more he thought of the boy and Tea together, the more insane he would become by just staying here.

Staying here. Staying here in the same room with Tea that was the problem. He needed to get the hell away from here, he had to go somewhere, somewhere else and never see her so he could think clearer and never feel this-this whatever he had inside causing him to act this way. He would leave today and never look back. "Tonight…I'll do it tonight that what I won't have to face anymore of this." He said as he grabbed the door and headed to a saloon to eat.

* * *

Tea, after finishing lunch with Meryl and Milly, decided to go and head back to the inn since the suns was starting to set. It got dark pretty early, she thought as she walked. Maybe Legato would be at least less moody…but she doubt that. 

Somehow he was much harder to figure out than what she would expect from any person. So many things about him were difficult to say whether she should trust him or not. A bad feeling was rising in her gut. She made her way to the inn and went up to the room to when she was about to open the door, gripping the knob and about to turn when she heard his voice. It sounded piss and something told her it would not be wise to go in. She lean close hearing him talk to himself.

"…Goddamn bitch! Why the fuck she here!" Something was thrown to the wall and a dull thud was heard. "Why didn't I kill her in the first place last night, what the fuck went wrong! She's nothing, nothing but a worthless human! They're all a bunch of shit!"

Her hand release the knob and started slowly back away.

Legato wanted to kill her? When and wait what about last night? She didn't know what happened as she had no idea but there seem to be a missing piece to the puzzle and it was all starting to pull into place. And if he had about to kill her like if he was going to choke her or smother in her sleep shouldn't she have woken up and struggled against if that happen. Something wasn't right. But if staying with him was going to get her kill she rather face the desert alone. She wanted to move desperately to run but the next words he said caught her attention.

"Tonight…I'll do it tonight that what I won't have to face anymore of this."

Tea back away, fear clutching inside her chest as she heard footsteps coming and she raced down the hall and behind a corner. She waited holding her breath as she heard the door open and shut then heavy footsteps descending down the stairs. When the last of those steps were gone, she slid her body down the wall and stared shakily from the corner.

"Why…why do you hate me…" She couldn't stay with him, who knows what he would do to her tonight if last night's plan had failed already. He might try again and she wouldn't make it out of there alive. She had to get the Hell away from here and him. Whatever it took she was going to get outta here and head out somewhere else, some place where she would at least never have to be around him again.

_Now, I'll grab my stuff and leave before he comes back and go someplace far from here and never have to see him again._

Quickly she went to their room to grab her things and left quietly, heading down to the town to find transportation to another town.


	11. On The Road Again & More Keep Popping Up

**Blue Kitsune: **This has taken me quite a while to write this chapter and know it's a bit long but I've been putting a lot of thought to it and hope you guys like. Read and review!

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Chapter Eleven: On The Road Again & More Keep Popping Up In The Strangest Of All Places

When Legato said always expect the unexpected but what he really meant was _'prepare to get your face blown off with a gun in front of you and start saying your prayers'_, she hoped that it would never have to come across that kind of ordeal.

Or be given a five-minute head start before she even goes to that part where they decided on shooting her brains out to the other side of the room and leave the cleaning lady to clean up the mess.

She knew things weren't always what they are, having dealt with many in her life about people, especially in Legato's case which he had proven his unaware she had been heard on his plans and realizing the moral dangers she was putting herself staying with a crazy killer with every intention of murdering her!

Well not today and not likely gonna happen, no sir, not while she stays one-step ahead of the game! Hah take that! Let see how Legato would try and get his mitts on her now!

She had first gather all her belongings and messily shove them in her bags, not sure if he would come back and find what she was doing and made to exit through the window and down the fire escape.

The weight of all the baggage was hard to keep hold without losing her grip on the railing and landing in the alley and waited before she saw the coast was clear and went to blend in and thought was safe until further notice. She did feel a tad guilty for not being able to go pay and left a stack of bills on the table, hoping would be enough but last thing she would need was for Legato to know she was gone and found out what she was doing.

Well then again it was kinda obvious and if he did find her things and herself missing, it wouldn't need to take a rocket scientist to put it all together and figure what she was doing. The obvious solution should have gone to the sheriff's office and tell him…

_Tell him what, that you overheard Legato and yet don't have any concrete proof and even if that was possible, he might deny it and you can easily figure the rest that he'll find a way to get you in a darken alley and kill you without thinking twice of having the sheriff on his tail until he was long gone. _

So what was she suppose to do, one was crossed off and it wasn't like Legato would go and track her down and kill her as any reasonable derange killer would probably done?

Well maybe, she didn't know how the mind of a killer work, she knew maybe one or two psychopaths, her friends having once been possessed by millennium items containing spirits of thousands of years old who had big issues before.

She wasn't sure but would take no chances to risk finding out. She didn't want to end up being killed while he laughs maniacally over her corpse or maybe the other way around and something much worse than what she could possibly imagine. God, the very idea and tried not to think too much on them.

She shook her head and thought the best idea would be putting much distance between them and saying sayonara to him and this town by the time he realizes she had been long gone. All this thinking was giving her a headache and massage her temple with one hand. She went back to her earlier thoughts and growled in frustration.

"How could I've been so stupid!" She kicked the pole and muttered, "It's not like I was expecting him to say 'Hey thanks but guess what, I'm going to kill you, hopefully no hard feelings.' Oh yeah there's nothing better than getting killed by your everyday maniac. That's rich! After everything I've done to help his sorry ass this is what I get as payment for my kindness! Ugh!"

She wished that Legato was standing in front of her right now and give him a piece of her mind.

_I have so many things to say to that bastard that I don't even know where to start, augh! Probably for starters by calling him a prick, a good-for-nothing, bastard! Jerk!_ _Asshole! _

She started to run out of names and then started to curse in Japanese that would have made her friends taken aback by her attitude and a few people steering clear as she was stormed off and not wanting to get in the way of this fiery brunette's wrath.

Once she finished and was able to take it slow and think over the obvious of how she should have been obvious to this man's intention the whole time. All the signs were in front of her and was too blind by her own gracious conscious to see, trying to save a poor soul who was near death's door and this is where it end her up with.

The way he stared with those piercing cold calculating eyes and that smirk filled with promise of 'I'll kill you sooner or later but can't decided on when to set the time'.

She had to come up with something fast and get out of this damn pickle! She stopped and maybe she was overreacting, the sun might have fried her brain and mistake her judgment but no she wasn't going to let that deceive her.

_Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me!_ As the saying goes and didn't need to be told not to listen to what was trying to tell her or ignore the face that getting away was first priority to her.

She also had another problem to worry about now that she had to get as far from here without Legato coming after her and in which involved money. She didn't have any of the local currency of these so-called Double dollars and assumed she was to either walk to god knows where without any sense of direction or find some other way of transportation.

There was no chance she would survive going across that death trap and probably wouldn't be any civilization for miles around.

_Well this just keeps getting better and better. It's either I go and be cook to a crisp at the blazing brink of dawn and call it Tea jerky for the vultures or wait for Legato to come finish me off. _

_Vultures or Legato? Maniac killer or flesh eating flying parasites in the sky? I think I rather take my chances with the vultures._

Seeing how she would be crossing the desert once again, she tried to figure the best way to but no such thing came to mind. "There has got to be another way to get through. But how…" She place her chin under her hand and thinking what to do calling this option 'A' on her 'How to find suitable transportation'.

A simple solution to this problem would be helpful and most appreciated by now, even her husband would have come up with one without much trouble with hands down: just take resourceful action, grab what he needed and then pay for the consequences later or be damned for it.

Seto, how her husband had faced dangers and many adversaries, not afraid of any risk with little consideration of his forceful actions other than for his brother's safety and perhaps hers and her friends when it came to the foes that were in their paths and had to work together.

She sighed and smiled slightly. She missed them, all of them and wished they were here but now was not the time to brood into old memories. It was time to think and act!

She checked her watch, grateful still work even with all the brutal damage it must've took and look towards the darken sky. The suns had set not too long ago and saw few people heading for the bars, laughing and talking, some on their way home from work or such.

There weren't many staying out at this early hour and wonder if it might have to do with something like those people with guns she saw before in that one bar. She was no use to gang going out and scaring the locals and showing off their firearms, but she knew that most would rather live another day than be foolhardy and do something stupid to try and play hero.

Unless they have a good aim and knew what they were doing, also a lucky streak wouldn't be minded for the most part like a cat with nine lives.

She walked by the saloons and saw tied to the post a couple of the strange creatures that looked like a mixed of a half-horse and some other beast she had no clue what, with two powerful strong legs and large white skull-like faces. She had seen a few when she got into town and guessing these must be what passes themselves as horses and that's when it hit her.

Perhaps if she 'borrowed' one and looking around to see if anyone was watching and seeing no one staring at her peculiarly or suspicious as she moved closer to them. Now was her only chance and slung her things onto the saddle and untied the straps and mounted its back. It was difficult trying to find the right position, so much different than a horse's saddle but after settling in and giving a good hard kick to grab the beast's attention.

"Giddy up!" The beast grunt and started moving and she was in for a surprise seeing that it moved much faster than she expected and going at break neck speed and almost fell off if she hadn't hold on.

They got out of there in less than five minutes, a cloud of dust falling behind them and only look back to see if anyone was coming after her and saw nobody which made her thank her lucky stars for this fortunate blessing. Score, she was actually making it! She could see the town getting smaller and smaller as they kept going and when she saw the last bit disappearing, relax and smiled thinking there was no way Legato was going to get her now.

_Au revoir jackass, auf Wiedersehen you no good prick! Hope to see you again, **not**! Thought you were going to get me, well you were dead wrong asshole and looks like I bested you!_

With a satisfied smirk, she turn and look ahead of herself to the desert that was around her. She wore a long cloak to stay warm as she shivered but that wasn't due from the cold.

This was it, she was safe now and there was no need to worry of Legato coming after her as she removed one of the many canteens she had and taking a long swing to kill her parched throat, having not realized how thirsty she had been.

After she finished and put it away, she rummaged around in her sack and pulling out a map she was fortune when asking around that afternoon. Knowing this would provide useful on her journey as she figured the best routes to take and what some of the towns were and pat herself mentally on the back for finding one.

She looked it over under the faint light of the moon over her head. Judging from the distance and current speed she was going at if by possible would be able to make to a town, if there was one before daybreak sometime tomorrow.

If not, then who knew how long until she got to one. Provisions she had to be careful with it, knowing that could be days and taken into careful consideration to preserve her supplies as much as possible. She would need all the food and water she had with her to stay alive.

She would need to find some kind of job or make a few trades and barter with the things she had if she was going to be staying in this strange world as her new home. She probably could have gotten it here but didn't have much time as she had to make a run for it from him.

_Ugh! How stupid to think I was actually that close to trusting that no good—MHMP! He makes me so mad that Legato!_ It was hard to keep her thoughts from him as she grip the reins tighter, her knuckles turning white and feeling her nails bite into the leather.

"You know I don't fucking care as long as that son of a bitch doesn't ever cross my path! You heard that Legato, I can make it on my own without your help you jackass." She huffed, still a bit angry and somewhat feeling slightly betrayed with what she overheard but if she stayed who knows what he might have done. She shook her head, wondering where in hell's name did that come from. "The farther away from him, the better it will be to clear my mind."

All thoughts of him could go straight to hell for all she cares! If she did for one moment, it would be dust in the wind. She would never, ever think of that jerk again or so help her have lightning strike where she was!

She turn her gaze at the endless erosion of sand and cliffs, nothing for miles and seeing as she was going to be on her own for the journey.

Nobody ever said roughing it was easy, then again she had been through many adventures with her friends but now was alone and did scared her. She felt like she knew would only be the beginning and could hear the ghostly whisper of her friend, telling her not to let fear have a grip on her and encouraging her to keep trying. When life gets you down always look to the bright side of things.

This was to be her own adventure and wasn't planning to let any of their memories down.

"I just hope I know what I'm doing…" That was all she could think about as she made her way across the vast open desert.

* * *

Legato was in the bar having a snack and nobody going near the blue-hair mind controller, not after getting the feeling they should not go anywhere near him or his killer aura. Once he finished he would just leave, his destination uncertain, but anywhere was fine as long as he got out of this godforsaken town. 

Hell even if he had to go into the very desert would be better compare to hanging around with these mortals that were his company.

Somewhere outside, he heard a commotion but had little concern over it as he headed outside to where he saw the bus station, their next destination posted on the stand for all those to see which went to what town and at what time.

June city and the next bus heading there would be in ten minutes. It would have to do until he figured his next move. He had left nothing in the room back at the inn and didn't plan to ever go back there.

He got on and after a little mind bending, made the driver think he paid for his ride and taking a seat in the far back and by the window to stare outside while others got on.

His thoughts about the girl and what she would do when she realized he was gone by then but crossed it off his mind.

Why should he show concern for her being? He couldn't care less for any especially for her sake and he didn't have any money with him, he never really need to. All he could do was bend them to his will and have them not remembering a thing or threaten to destroy which he did later on anyways. He never had any issues over ridding the world of another bunch of disgusting vermin and felt no guilt over his acts.

She was like the rest of them, no different and should have been killed the night before.

He blamed on his lack of energy for his body still needing time to recuperate and could rest inside the bus and head out into the vast desert towards the town, which would take a few hours and many a few other buses to get to his destination.

The best thing to do was wait and until that happens he would have to formulate what he was planning for his next move.

Should he return to his former master, no he doubt he would be merciful to him to see him still alive and probably punish him for living and not causing the ultimate suffering as he should have done.

_But it's not my fault! _He thought sounding petty and like a whiny child who didn't get his way and feeling to put all his troubles on someone and pin it all on that inferno woman.

_Damn her, damn that bitch to the eternal fires of hell. If I ever see her face again, I swear I'll kill her with my own bare hands!_

He hoped that if that does that he wouldn't have the same occurrence like last time disrupt him and decided to push it aside and let himself sleep during the ride. He watch particles of sands scatter across the land with the other passengers that were on the bus themselves and rode pass the many dunes.

His eyes grew heavy and was falling into the black abyss sleep conjured for him. For now darkness was his only ally and was thankful to let it take over for the time being until he recovered. Any other previous thoughts were in the back of his mind for now at least.

* * *

Tea not sure where she was going but hoping with another bound of unexpected luck she find another town soon because she could feel her eyes drooping and not wanting to fall off from the creature as they rode onward. 

Every few minutes her eyelids close by themselves without cause and then she was wide-awake when she felt the animal move. She held on to the reins tighter and then came up with the solution to tie them around both wrists and took a brief nap and when she was awake would easily unknot them though took a while to get it loose and have her hands free but at least having catch some sleep on the meantime.

Best to get accustomed now and do what she can in the light of her predicament. She rubbed her eyes and saw the sky becoming light realizing dawn was approaching.

She found that with trying to keep a clear head and thinking the situation over when seeing nothing but pillars and canyons and dunes and seeing her chances of finding a town were slim.

She pull out the map and trying to figure which direction they were going and see if there were any possible shortcuts to make them hurry after spending three hours riding this creature and already getting saddle sore. She cursed herself for not grabbing a compass along the way. It would have provided useful especially with no idea whether she was heading North or South, or East or West on this damn map.

She saw the clouds blocking the sun, which she was thankful cause the heat was starting to get to her. She wiped her brow and taking one more glance at the map and seeing how far they must've gone and not long before she saw what appeared to be a gate a fine distances away.

"Well looks like it's about damn time." She drove the beast in through and should have sense something was off with the sky suddenly rumbling and dark shadows coming over the whole place.

"Boy this place is empty as a graveyard…" Tea saw that nobody was in this town like the one before and felt a strange vibrate feeling coming over her. It was just like that previous town when she first arrived on this planet, no sign of people or life. Left a cold chill that made her want to turn and go the other direction and get as far as possible.

She shook her head, she had gotten this far and there was no time for turning back. She lead the beast to a nearby post and jumping down and went to tie it securely before making her way to check it out, knowing would only find nothing like the last one but needed to make sure.

"Hello anyone here?" She heard nothing and saw not a single disturbance that relates that anyone was around this part. She pulled off her things and set to go have a look.

She looked inside the bars and found half empty glasses sitting on counters, the stores with food but rats munching on the bags of few, house which should have been with people were empty. This was like the last ghost town all right.

"Somehow, people are like disappearing off the face of the world left and right with no indicating of what's happening?" This was ridiculous, she shouldn't be thinking of those sci-fi movies where people were unexpectedly abducted for no reason. Then again how else did she wind up here?

She stood in the town square and then caught something written in red on the stone pillar that reminded her too well of a large tombstone and went to see what it said. Trying to read in the faint light and could make out the word when lightning shot through the sky but not sure what it meant by.

_**KNIVES.**_

That word was coated with not red paint as she first thought but actually blood. It made hers run cold and send chills down her spine.

Ok something definitely creepy was going on and heard a loud boom and almost jump, her heart hammering inside her chest but realized was only the thunder. She had made it pass where she had been a few minutes ago and feeling a light drizzle coming on as it came pouring down.

She thought best to go take shelter inside the nearest building, which happened to been what could have pass itself as a church as she went through the large doors and moved inside the dark room. There was little she could make out from where she stood and found a candle sitting by the side and picked it up and used a match to light it.

It was isolated and just like everything else without a single soul in sight, the empty pews and the large cross with the lord and son of god up front on the alter.

"Well I may not be a believer but I guess I might spend one day in here until the rain lets up." She moved to put her stuff on one of the seats and feeling exhaust went to lie down and stretch her whole body against it.

She was so tired and listening to the rain outside made her sleepy. A few hours and then she would be good to go if the weather decided to change. She yawned and moving into a more comfortable position, her arms behind her head and closed her eyes.

She had been asleep for how long, she wasn't sure, maybe a few minutes to say the least when she heard a sound that was brought to her immediate attention and her eyes flew open.

What was that? She laid still, not sure of what that was and waited to see if she could hear it again. She thought it sounded like a moan.

Someone in pain but not sure whether it was her mind playing tricks or what as this town was making the creep factor go up with everything from finding no people and a word written in blood. It's doesn't seem to be like a ghost's, can't be, there's no such things as ghost. Spirit possessing items yes, but not ghosts.

At least she hoped…

_Please just let it be her imagination running wild with her or at least a bad dream and wake up from this nightmare._ She listen, her body tense and as stiff as the board as she lean her back against it and try to reframe from moving less she miss what she thought to have heard. There, there it was again, this time a little less loud than before and even with the rain could tell that there was something here.

She should go and check it out. Despite reasons that should have warning bells ringing off in her head, she carefully pulled herself down to the floor, putting her feet first and shifting slowly without making any loud noises should this person probably think her of harm and until she knew who it was, better to play safe than sorry. After all look what it got her with the last one.

As her body fell to the ground with a light 'thud', she froze, waiting if they would sense her presence but when nothing but the rain hitting the roof soundproof it and made her relax her muscles.

She was on all fours, her belly flat on the ground and looking under to see if there was anyone on the other side. No one as far she could see in the darkness or on the other side for the matter. She crawled slowly like a slithering lizards and once she reached the end, crouched up and then moved to stand up, still being wary and keeping herself from sight as she peer behind the pew and her eyes moving around.

_I have a bad feeling about this._ She edge from her hiding spot and moving towards the front and kept going. Feeling like a bucket of ice water had been pour over her and shivering uncontrollably, whether because she was still soak or that it wasn't making it any better as she may not be so alone in here.

_Just got to check it out and see if maybe there's someone else here, that it._ She walked to the front where the alter with the cross and of the lord Christ, looking around and wondering where the noise could have been coming from.

"Hello is someone there? If you can hear me, call out to me." She try to not let fear waver her voice and the groaning got louder, a good sign as she could have sworn it was coming from somewhere close by, possibly in the next room she hadn't seen that was hidden behind the alter itself.

She was not sure if it was a good idea to go without some kind of weapon to protect herself with and found a pole lying to the side and carrying with her like a club in both hands.

As her eyes move around and to the ground and saw what appeared to be a small pattern of red spots then becoming a trail leading further down and only guessing what it was. Finally when she reach the end of the line she found a man lying to the side severely injured judging from those bloodstain holes in him and on top.

Tea in her momentarily shock state, dropped the pole and heard it clatter and rolled away as she took in the sight and suppress the urge to groan. _Oh no not another one! _

This was terrific, just what she needed, she helps one injured person and leaves him to fend for his own and now God has given her another once on her first arrival to this place.

_Great, why me, why am I the lucky person to be doing this. This isn't really my day, hasn't it? For no reason I've been chosen to do all the dirty work when I find shot victims and aid them. _

_Aw well at least I haven't been shot that should count my blessing but right now I think he needs my help whether I'm not sure he'll be like the other one but... _

She sigh, knowing her conscious would be telling her would be the right thing to do and not wanting to have another tiring episode like the last time decide to go for it.

"Ok I guess nurse Tea on the call again in the line of duty." She move to his side and manage to lift him up and on her back, "Hang on, I need to get you out of here first." She didn't know why she was telling him this as he was unconscious when she had hold of him and grunting the whole time as she took him back to the alter where her things were.

She tries to not collapse under the extra weight and with his feet dragging across the floor didn't help either for her. She was going to have to start working out to get some muscles if she was going to be doing this for a living in some way.

Unlike the last one which she dared not named, she found that this guy was at least breathing as she felt his warm breath touch her face and when she laid him down and removed his jacket and shirt and saw the rise and fall of his chest, taking very shallow breaths and knowing she had not much time if she didn't hurry and give first aid.

One of two bullets was still lodge in while the other had made a clean escape, leaving a gaping hole the size of a nickel above his left shoulder, far from his heart. Whoever shot him, didn't have very good aim and thankful for that as they must've thought him for dead. He lost what appeared to be a lot of blood and would take a while for him to recover with plenty of rest and some liquids to replenish him.

But first things first and pulling out the kit once again and glad to still have some of the necessaries and were at least clean and sterile.

"All right time to get to work." She rolled up her sleeve and went with first dislodging the bullets and cleaning up the wounds with disinfectant, she seeing him gasping and wincing letting her aware he could feel it but still went with what she was doing and with the last stitch she was done.

As she guess he would now be out for the rest of the evening and decided she better start a fire for him to stay warmth and went to look for firewood.

She went around, searching for anything that look like could be broken up easily as she had been able to collect enough and set to making a small one near the alter, making sure it didn't spread and burn the whole place down along with them. She then went to go and prepare some dinner as she had worked herself an appetite and knowing he might be too and went to whip up something.

With the smell of food was in the air, she heard him moan and then opening his eyes to see her and try to sit up on his own, ignoring the pain it cause that flared up as he did, "W-who are you? Are you an angel send from the lord to take me from this place?"

She smiled and shook her head, "First off, I'm not, I saved your life and now you need to rest. You were hurt pretty badly but need to lie down and not cause too much movement on yourself." Hadn't she had this sort of conversation before with, she tried to suppress the memory and look to find his gray blue eyes on her and immediately blushed finding the unneeded attention from this guy.

She turn and trying not to let it get to her, saying was the heat as she was sitting so close to the fire and hoping he wouldn't notice, "Listen, why don't you lie back and get some sleep and when you do, I'll give you some dinner then all the answers you want all right?"

The man nodded, "Ok it's a deal then." and in which Tea took as a good sign that he would cooperate with her without questioning her reasons and laid back and fell into a light sleep. While he was napping she went to see about setting some grub for the two.

It took half an hour before she heard him stir behind her and covering his mouth as he yawn and sitting up on his elbows and saw her there. The man stared at the pretty young woman who was stirring the pan and where the delicious aroma was coming from.

_So it hadn't been a dream after all_,_ for a second I thought I really had been dead and god deciding to send an angel to pick me up,_ he coming to the conclusion that he had been that close by a millisecond towards death's door.

Thinking it had been all over for Nicholas D. Wolfwood and thinking himself a goner but somehow, God being the oh merciful, had send an angel to his aid and coming to his rescue and perform a miracle on him.

Even if she wasn't really a heavenly angel from the above, she had a somewhat radiant aura around her that gave her the presence that she had been send to save him.

He smiled, God really did work in strange and miraculous ways. He saw her turn and seeing how those azure blue eyes brighten when she saw him awake, "Oh good you're awake. Soup's almost done. I hope you're hungry?" As if on cue, his stomach made a large growl bringing to both their attention with action more than words could describe.

Wolfwood smiled sheepishly, feeling embarrassed that happened. "Does that answer it for you?" He watched as she smiled and couldn't help as he return one of his own. She went to go pour the two bowls while he took the chances to see the bandage wrapped around his torso.

"Hey you did a great job patching me up. If you hadn't of show up, I might have been worm chow by now." He said, patting the area where he had been shot and wincing at the pain that flared up before laughing it off while she seem to look concern and wanting to keep from letting her worry so much introduced himself.

"By the way, name's Wolfwood, Nicholas D. Wolfwood at your service and who may I ask is this lovely celestial being that has come to grace this dismal character?"

Tea giggled and pulled back a strand of her hair as she answer, "Tea, Tea G. Kaiba and it's nice to meet you Mr. Wolfwood." She said handing him a bowl as he took it.

"Please call me Wolfwood, there's no need for such formalities with Mr., especially for someone who has such a pretty name like yourself." She blushed, "Very well then I'll ask you to do the same for me."

He nodded and she watched as he put his hands together and bowing his head with eyes closed and following his example as he went to make thanks, "Oh lord, thank you for letting us feast in this honorable bounty that we may take upon and for giving good will and health to those who are needed and bless the unfortunate, amen."

With that said and done, they started digging in, Wolfwood gobbling it down rather fast the first time and choking as some went down the wrong pipe. Tea handed him a canteen to let him drink to clear and dislodge the food from his throat.

"Thanks, sorry I was really starving back there." She nodded and asking if he would like seconds and went to give him another helping, knowing he would need all the strength he could get.

When he took the bowl from her and this time taking it a little slowly and when he finished, wanting to know how she had gotten here. "So what were you doing here, most of the people had left this place you know? Just wind up into Keybas by yourself?"

She set her bowl aside and look at him as he sat across from her and nodded, "Is that the name of this town? I'll have to look at the map later and mark it but to answer your question: Yeah I guess you could say I'm traveling by myself.

I was just making my way and having no idea where I was going you see and was getting late and not to mention about to rain and found the gates and head in but…"

She didn't want to make mention of when she saw all those empty building and the pillar with the blood written on the wall with one word and shudder then turn to him, "So what about you, how did you end up here anyways and were you attacked?"

He sighed, not wanting to really go into details over what happened, especially with who had been the one who had pulled the trigger on him.

"You could probably say that. It's not something I don't really feel like talking about at the moment over what happen…"

"Oh I see. I'm sorry, I should have known better than to ask, forgive me Mr. Wolfwood."

"It's all right you didn't know and please no more mister, it's Wolfwood ok?" She nodded and they made mostly small chat until they ran out of things to say and hearing only the crackling of the fire and Wolfwood asking if she had any booze on her and pulled out a bottle of whisky from her pack, uncertain why she even got it in the first place.

"It's not much but I had this and not much carried on with me when I was going, not sure where I was heading to tell the truth." But as she hand it to him and watched as he was about to take a swing of it.

"I don't think you should be drinking that while you're still not fully heal." She voicing out her worry but he didn't pay any heed as he took a hard swig of the stuff and then handed the bottle back to her and she took a sip, feeling a need to calm her frazzle nerves.

It made her feel a little lightheaded, knowing she was not really a drinker but wanting something to distract her from this world and why not have a little alcohol why she was at it. He took it from her again and having another and smacked his lips.

"Yeah burns the spot," He said, "Hits the spot."

"Oh please, seriously Wolfwood just some of that stuff and you think it the elixir of life don't you?" She half joke, having enough fills of hearing or at least finding shot victims and wanting to keep far from the subject as much as possible.

Last thing she needed to be reminded of him…

She went to one of her other bags and pulled out two blankets and handing one to him, "You might need this, it gets pretty cold, trust me I was almost half freezing when I was out there with—" She stopped realizing she was heading into dangerous territory and made to go lay down before Wolfwood look to her questioning as to why she stop, "With who?"

"No one, sorry sometimes the slip of the tongue when I'm a little drunk. It's nothing, just forget what I said, I don't really feel like talking about it so." She fake yawned and pulled the blanket over her shoulders.

"Goodnight." She said and pretending to be asleep, waiting until she heard him snoring lightly beside her and then tried to sleep but every time she close her eyes she saw Legato and wonder what he was doing at this very moment…

* * *

Legato was having a problem. Never once had he any trouble falling asleep before, not once. Not even with all the horrific images of people being slaughter by the like of him and his former Gun-ho as many victims' lives laid in ruin, blood caked on his hand in figuratively speaking. 

Not ever have they plague him, the only nightmares his own but had rarely been to pop up but as he sat on this crowded bus with these sweaty homosapiens sitting around him. It's a wonder and amazed him that he doesn't hold his nose to keep from breathing their disgusting unclean stench that was enough to make him puke.

But it wasn't because of that, no it was something rather that had to do with the woman, the one where she was probably still in town miles away, probably wondering where he was or left or whatever.

Like he really cares, he was too exhausted to really be concentrating on her while having his own problems to be really considering on his situation.

He lean back and trying to close his eyes again for more than a minute, the movement of the bus lulling him to sleep before hitting another bump and causing his eyes to snap wide and growl under his breath with this constant interruption and look outside to see how much distance they put themselves from the town.

So far their destination happen to be near a town he had recently pass, what was that name again, it was June now he remember. Should be another half an hour before reaching the next bus station and switching transportation.

The rising of the two suns make their appearance over the valley and turning to keep from being blinded as he turn away and try to think of something other than the girl. What was it about her that haunted his mind every passing second? She was an enigma for him, a damn constant annoyance and a nuisance to him.

No matter, he was finally free of her, there was no way he was to ever see her again and what were the chances he would.

Probably one in a million and liking how those numbers add to his favor, relax and let his mind drift for a moment before he finally was able to not think anymore and shut his mind down on any other thoughts so not to disturb him.

* * *

Tea woke to the bright sunlight filtering through the crack of the open doorframe as she groggily got up. She rubbed her eyes and turn to see if Wolfwood was up and surprised to see the blanket he slept in there but no sign of him. 

"Wolfwood, you here?" She made to get up as she went to search the church and seeing he wasn't there and then went to step outside and look until she spot him sitting by and having a smoke by the steps.

He saw her coming out and waved, "Good morning, lovely day we're going to have don't you agree? God is certainly deciding to grace us with good fortune for sure. Feeling hungry, I up to making some breakfast if that's all right with you? So what do you feel like having today? Eggs and bacon, an omelot, a grill—"

"Wolfwood what are you doing?" She rushed over and went to pulled the cigeratte out and stomping it with her foot.

He looked surprised, "What you do that for? Those cigarettes don't come cheap you know?"

She turn and crossing her arms over her chest. "For your information, if you haven't forgotten you were almost dead and I mean honestly, don't you think you should take into consideration for your health, even your life!"

She went on with it and was starting to sound like a overbearing mother with her kid who had broken his arm and had to be stuck in bed instead of running around when he could injure himself again.

"And another thing, you lost a lot of blood, you—" He stopped her before she could say anymore, "Relax, I've taken the liberty of using a blood pill before you woke up." She blinked confused with what he said, not sure if she heard correct, "A blood pill?"

He nodded, "Yeah it comes with every first aid kit, I'm surprised you didn't know. It's those little red capsules that are inside the mini pillboxes inside. They do help a lot, those little beauties." He stood up and stretched while he then turn to her as he asked, "So how does flapjacks sound to you?"

* * *

They were in one of the small café and finding the necessary ingredients and together whipped up a suitable breakfast for two with from bacon and eggs, French toast and pancakes, freshly squeeze orange juice and even others she had never heard of as they took a seat together by the window.

It seem to be like what suppose to be an ordinary breakfast inside a restaurant but there were no people around and that's what made it so bizarre for her.

She looked outside and still couldn't help get pass what she saw before her. No people walking around or talking with others, no children running in the streets playing, it was so different than what she suppose was to be in a place like this.

She ate little of her ham and cheese omelet and taking a sip of her coffee as she felt decaffeinated from all her traveling. Some sugar to make her blood go did help a bit.

"So where you planning to go then?" She was brought back to this moment when she heard Wolfwood asking and unsure how to really answer that one question.

Where was she going? She had no idea or any clue to what else lie or if every town she goes by will only be empty or with some person half dead or who knows. She shrugged as that was pretty much how she figured.

"I'm not really sure myself to tell the truth but…you know I think I can trust you can't I? I mean even when we just only got to barely know each other for only a few hours but I feel as if we've known each other longer, don't you find that a little silly." He seem to be thinking it over, "No, sometimes that how most people feel but if you're asking if I'm willing to listen then my answers yes."

He then pulls out another cigarette from his pocket and light it then taking a deep breath and letting out a smoke while leaning back in his chair, "And of course since I am a man of faith and in the lord you may make any confession to me and swear never to reveal to anyone."

"Very funny but ok…" She feeling less tense than before and told him everything up to the point about how she had been taken from her world to this one, unsure other than the light that must have open a portal somehow.

Wolfwood took in careful consideration what she said, the cigarette burning until it was at the butt itself and when she finished look to him and seeing he wasn't saying anything, knowing she wouldn't have believed it herself. She smiled slightly and looked down into her half-filled mug, staring at the brown liquid swirling inside, finding it the most interesting thing here.

"You probably think I'm crazy don't you? I know it sounds farfetched but it's the truth, every word what I said. I don't even know why I came here to be sure but I guess my life is filled with too many surprises."

"I don't think that's it Tea." He said while taking the butt out and smothering it on the ashtray and looked with those serious silvery blue eyes, "I think it's more like fate has led you here for a purpose. I'm not sure what but I mean why else would you have come and found me and brought me back before my own demise."

"Well I'm not really sure if I should consider me being here a purpose but—" Before she could say another word, he grabbed both her hands and held them in his, "I'm forever in your debt and for that I will help you in with whatever situation you may be in as a man of my word and honor to help the innocent and sworn protector of God."

She flushed and pulled her hands away, the warmth from his touch and how rough with callous was enough to make her brain go nuts over. "You're far too kind and I do think you're capable but I think maybe I don't know."

"Say how about I help you and show you some routes I know of, would that help?" She nodded and was heading for the church to grab her thing but thought to go check how the beast was doing. When she arrived at where she had tied it up and found it was gone.

"Oh no!" Great there goes her one-way ticket. Now what was she to do? That had been her chances and now it had run off. Wolfwood was coming over and saw the distraught look on her face, "What's the matter?" She told him and he understand and guessing how it got away, "Probably got spook when it heard the thunder and ran. They do tend to get frighten off by the loudest noise. I'm terribly sorry."

"Oh what am I suppose to do without now?"

"Well I do have one suggestion?" She turn to him, "You do?"

He nodded, "Sure do, wait here, I'll be right back." He then went off and ten minutes later return riding what appeared to be a motorbike big enough to seat both of them and carrying her bags with him. He pulled up next to her and seeing the mild shock on her face as she took in his new set of wheels and lowered his dark shades to look her way.

"I thought we could go travel in style what you say? Allow me to introduce Angelina III. Ain't she a beauty?" She smiled, "You certainly know how to make a woman feel welcome you know that?"

He move her things and pat the empty seat behind him, "Hop on then and let's leave this joint!"

"Yeah let's blow this pop stand!" She laugh as she got on and together they rode off into the desert off to the next town. She thought her luck must have been changing the instant she wrapped her arms around Wolfwood's waist and hung on as they drove, leaving the deserted town behind and heading for a new one.


End file.
